LAST Thursday, I was asked to speak at a Walkability Summit organized at the University of Asia and the Pacific on the above topic. Philippine urban environments generally have poor walkability — narrow or no sidewalks, paths that are obstructed or filled with holes and hazards, and motor vehicle drivers who ignore pedestrians, even those at zebra crossings. The solutions have less to do with technical or engineering matters; rather, the fundamental constraints are mainly social and political.

When I was preparing for my talk, what immediately came to mind were several insights from a presentation by Enrique Peñalosa, former mayor of Bogota, when he visited the Philippines in 2008: