AR 522

Introduction to Urban Design and Plannning

“Urban Form and Urban Use”

(Comparative Analysis on the Urban Centers of City of Ilagan and Cauayan City)

A Case Study presented by:

Lacaden, James Andrian

Madriaga, Jimmy Jr.
Salazar, Prince John Dave
Cabalonga, Gerlene
Rosales, Jessica

Submitted to:

Ar. Cheryll D. Moreno, uap

Instructor
 INTRODUCTION

Urban Form focuses on establishing a structural framework for the city, enhancing

the character of neighborhoods and districts, creating vibrant centers of activity and public

realm that is engaging and livable. It is the configuration of the combined physical

components as they form a cohesive whole. The components of urban form include:

circulation (streets, sidewalks, transits and bikeways), open space, buildings and natural

features. A healthy and a vibrant Urban Centers as the Primary Activity Center of the city

is an essential aspect of a diverse, attractive, and successful urban form for the City.

Urban center, as defined is also considered as a metropolis where civic structures,

institutional buildings and commercial business districts are located. Thus, it plays a vital

role on making the area busy and productive and these elements keeps on expanding

and expanding. So as it goes farther, does the existing urban center on a certain city can

accommodate the necessities of the people or somehow are there possible dilemmas on

how things will go considering that the population of the city is increasing? These simply

indicate the chances that planning for these urban areas will jive or not with the existing

environment. The following questions show the assessment and a comparative analysis

of two cities in terms of urban center.

Q U E S T I O N S T O P O N D E R;

1. What are they similarities and differences as urban environments?

Urban areas are created and further developed by the process of urbanization.

Urban areas are measured for various purposes, including analyzing population density
and urban sprawl. City of Ilagan and City of Cauayan are both progressing and developing

cities in the Province of Isabela.

City of Ilagan is 2nd class city and is the capital of the province of Isabela while

City of Cauayan is a 3rd class municipality. Both exhibited positive economic growth in

recent years which can be improved further through the identification of constraints to its

development. Urban Sprawling is very evident in both cities. In terms of population,

according to the 2015 census. City of Ilagan has a population of 145,568 people making

it as the most populous city in the province while City of Cauayan has a population of

129,523 people. Isabela is known as “Regional Trade and Industrial Center” in the

northeast of Luzon. Both the cities of Ilagan and Cauayan are centers for business and

industry.

2. What Urban design values and principles are inherent in what you see?

The most inherent urban principle is the multi nuclei model wherein uses do not

evolve around a single core but at several nodes and focal points and these it falls under

the design of grid type which is usually common in types of urbanization. Typical to the

development patterns of cities and municipalities outside of Metro Manila, the city's

developed section features a concentrated urban hub with dispersed concentrations

located along circulation networks outside the city center. The different commercial points

(emerging CBD’s) are not located on one point but is evidently dispersed and these

greatly shows that there is an emerging growth in terms of the population and the

economic growth of the both cities.

 In addition to these, since both cities are not component cities, it is further

dependent on agricultural industry wherein it is dominantly the source of income of the

locals of the both cities.

3. How do urban design and form affect the way people use this places? Does

the design of this places seem to encourage (discourage) certain kinds of

activities?

Built-up areas outside of the urban area sport a ribbon-type development pattern,

in which developments, typically commercial land uses, gravitate along roads. Each

nonurban concentration of developments typifies the main “sitio” or main center of the

barangay.

In almost all barangays, the Maharlika Highway is the central road where majority

of developments tend to situate, which makes evident the strong influence of attracting

significant establishments to the main thoroughfare which make commercial hubs visible.

As a result, this is also the area with usually high land values due to its potential to

generate profits and are highly attractive to situate commercial centers and significant

land uses such as institutional areas for practicality of the users and for the adjacency of

land uses. This valued area therefore becomes important in positioning land uses for the

greatest common benefit for all its citizens in a strategic way.

Left unplanned and its significance unrecognized, urban issues such as traffic

congestion, urban blight, incompatible land uses, and decreased land use values may

become such consequences.

 4. What "non-design” factors seem to influence the use of this places?

The non-design factors that affect the use of these place are the users’ personal

preferences. Some of the users tend to choose to live in the rural areas rather than the

urban areas in both cities due to the expensive cost of living in the metropolis. Economic

growth of the two cities is also a factor that influences the urban use as it determines

possible potentials of an urban area to attract investors for the development of the place.

Thus, more investors, more structures to build in the business districts or undeveloped

lots that invite investors to put up their businesses.

5. Which of the two environments given your answers, do you like better and

why?

Given the two environments, City of Ilagan exhibits more probability to be

urbanized. The variable geography and location of Ilagan gives more opportunities in

terms of urban development. Aside from it is the capital of Isabela, the one advantage of

City of Ilagan is its tourism industry wherein Ilagan Wildlife and Sanctuary and the Ilagan

Japanese tunnel are located that tends to attract more tourists and the city government

is on their way in improving the accessibility through road networks and beautification to

these attractions. Thus, it is dubbed as the center of the province of Isabela.

DOCUMENTATION
 City Hall

Urban center

Urban center
 City hall

Urban center
 POTENTIALS URBAN ISSUES

 Strong tourism  Traffic

industry congestion due
to undesirable
 Population density of parking of
120 inhabitants per roads
square kilometer
 Commercial
 Center for business establishments
and industry did not meet
the required
 Has the most number number of
ILAGAN CITY of barangays (91 parking spaces
barangays) in the basing form the
Philippines. building type

 Geographically located
in the center of  Lack of
Isabela. commercial
establishments.
 Pedestrian user
friendly
  The City of Cauayan,  Traffic congestion due
Isabela, the to undesirable parking
convergence center for of roads
business and agro-
industry in Region 02  Doesn’t conform on
the standard
 Known as the ideal city clearance for
of the north sidewalk.

 Is a fast-growing rural  Some portions are

industrial center deteriorated
centrally located in the
CAUAYAN CITY province of Isabela  No proper sewage
system.
 Cauayan comprises an
aggregate area of
336.40451 square
kilometers

 It ranks tenth highest in

terms of land area
among the 37 Local
Government Units of
the province of Isabela.