Placemaking and People-making The Interplay Between Youth Activities and the Built Environment Design in a Philippine Public Park

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Cover image: Girls team training in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Supported by ‘Football for a New Tomorrow (FANT)’. Credit: Sticker, 2023
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Published: Nov 6, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32891/jps.v9i2.1714
Keywords:
youth placemaking public spaces built environment design sustainable development

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Ferdinand III Isla
University of the Philippines Los Baños
Sandra Samantela
University of the Philippines Los Baños

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the interaction between young people and the built environment of Taal Park, a public park located in the poblacion (central business district) of a historical town in Batangas, Philippines. With a renewed appreciation of public spaces in the post-COVID-19 era, this work builds on the promising opportunity for people to collectively claim the right to a (city) space – and to continuously reshape it through time. Employing a qualitative case study research design, the study involved the conduct of a survey and unstructured non-participant observation. Data was then analysed through complementary descriptive and thematic analysis. The results of the study highlighted the positive impact of Taal Park on youth well-being through effective design that facilitates and encourages social interactions. The nexus between placemaking and people-making in this context illustrates how the built environment design and young people’s use of public spaces are mutually reinforcing. However, limitations in terms of the planning systems that are currently in place further highlight the need for more meaningful youth engagement mechanisms. Future research should continue utilising a transdisciplinary approach to deepen the knowledge base on public space in Global South contexts focussing on exploring effective youth engagement strategies in urban planning. Overall, ensuring that youth have a substantive role in shaping these environments can lead to more inclusive, dynamic, and vibrant public spaces.

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How to Cite
Isla, F. I. and Samantela, S. (2024) “Placemaking and People-making: The Interplay Between Youth Activities and the Built Environment Design in a Philippine Public Park”, The Journal of Public Space, 9(2), pp. 109–128. doi: 10.32891/jps.v9i2.1714.
Issue
Vol. 9 No. 2 (2024): Young Gamechangers
Section
Academic
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Author Biographies

Ferdinand III Isla, University of the Philippines Los Baños

Ferdinand III Isla is a young scholar who is currently in the final year of his undergraduate degree in human ecology with specialization in human settlements planning in the University of the Philippines Los Baños (IPLB). Working to build a career in the field of environmental planning, some of his research interests include sense of place, placemaking, sustainable landscapes, social-ecological resilience, and advancing Global South perspectives. As a student, he has been actively involved in various organizations and research projects as he strives to always utilize a holistic and transdisciplinary perspective in his work. In his sophomore year, he became one of the pioneering recipients of the UPLB AGORA Research Grant for Students, where he was the primary investigator for a study on community-based organic agriculture as a driver of resilience and sustainability. In 2023, he also served as the Chief Executive Planner (President) of the UP Society of Human Settlements Planners, which is the only student-led planning organization in UPLB. At present, he is working on his undergraduate thesis about riverside residents’ sense of place and its implications for resilience-based planning and management.

Sandra Samantela, University of the Philippines Los Baños

Sandra Samantela is an environmental planner and Assistant Professor in the Department of Community and Environmental Resource Planning, College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños since 2015, where she conducts research on human settlements planning and provides technical assistance to municipalities in formulating local development plans. She also teaches and supervises graduating students of the Bachelors degree program in Human Settlements Planning. Sandra holds a MSc in Urban Management and Development in IHS-Erasmus University Rotterdam where she specialized in Urban Land Governance. Her masters thesis was about exploring the institutional challenges of land value capture implementation in Metro Manila. She is passionate about the maximized use of public spaces, and empowering communities, this is reflected in her involvement in a research project on street walkability and a community urban garden project in an informal settlements area in Quezon City. As a young professional in the academic field, she seeks to widen her network and continue to contribute to SDG11 through joining local and international initiatives. 

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