Baguio Arts and Crafts Collective, Inc. (BACCI) covers the conversation about creativity and space in its third webinar last May 26. Architect Aris Go, of 90 Design Studio, shared his thoughts on “Imagining a Creative Circuit: Dream or Reality?” during the one-hour session via Zoom.
The Philippine National Commission for UNESCO (UNACOM) opened the webinar, through Joana Bagano-Nuque, a former Program Officer, who is also a native of Benguet province. She cited that on this particular day, UNACOM is celebrating its 70th anniversary.
The talk according to Nuque is being given at “an opportune time to shape the conversation around sustainable development and cities.” She noted that the concept of a Creative Circuit “can both be the driver and an outcome of this conversation.” She also mentioned that if this conversation was to learn and integrate the knowledge of indigenous communities, it must be that “indigenous communities can seamlessly weave things together, with their respect for the environment and their collective beliefs and history.”
The Creative Loop: a Background
Architect Aris Go gave a short background about the concept of the creative circuit or what he calls the creative loop. According to him, this was included in Baguio City’s proposal to UNESCO when it applied for the Creative Cities Network back in 2017. He was part of the group that helped put that proposal together, along with the local government unit.
The concept of the creative loop is based on the main goal of rethinking the whole of Baguio City as a park. This means creating and recreating public spaces, making them more accessible and sustainable, and interconnecting these spaces all around the city. Instead of looking at just individual parks such as Burnham Park, Sunshine Park, Wright Park, it aims to transform the whole city into a park.
Working with Existing Environments
Go presented specific plans, from working with existing environments, focusing on redesign and rehabilitation of existing spaces and structures. He also talked about the importance of interconnectivity, especially in the highly populated central business district and other dense areas. What is unique about what he calls this “pedestrian spine” is the incorporation of more greenery and covered walkways to encourage more people to walk, rather than take a cab.
Redesigning existing structures is mainly focused on adding more greenery and more open spaces if possible. Maharlika, for example, can be rehabilitated to improve ventilation. The Baguio Public Market can also be improved by adding more pocket plazas and rest areas with more trees and greenery. The plan goes into much detail on how areas in the central business district can be redesigned and rehabilitated.
Go also cited that in order for this creative loop to become a reality, it needs considerable collaboration between the local government unit, the private sector, and other stakeholders. He posited that moving forward, we need to look at:
- Focusing the development of a Baguio for the people
- Creating a balance between development and the environment
- Should be future proof and technology-driven
- Should be strategic rather than tactical: recreate the whole of Baguio City as a park
- Should be wholistic and place importance on interconnectivity: a comprehensive development for Baguio and Metro Baguio
The webinar was live-streamed on the BACCI Facebook page, and is currently available for viewing for those who missed it. The final webinar of the series is on June 2, Wednesday, 6 to 7pm, and will feature Tioan Medrano, of Aramid Creative on “DESIGNING (FOR) WITH CLIENTS: A Mutual Understanding (M.U.)” To register for future sessions, click here.