Open spaces: Don’t fill ‘em up

Parks and plazas are usually considered as the “lungs” of a city or town. As towering buildings and concrete structures seem to clog the urban environment, public open spaces create welcome voids, providing points of social convergence.

The integration of public open spaces such as parks and plazas in cities in the country goes way back into its colonial past. When the Philippines was under the Spanish rule, cities and towns were to be planned according to the Royal Ordinances of 1573, commonly known as the Law of the Indies. This placed emphasis on the function of open spaces as important places that would reflect the economic and social life of the community.