Waterfront design without policy? The actual uses of Manila’s Baywalk

Since 2002, the urban renewal of the seaside promenade of Manila has become an unexpected magnet of activity in this 430-year old city. As one of the projects of Mayor Lito Atienza’s flagship program, Buhayin ang Maynila (Revitalize Manila), the transformation of what is now popularly called The Baywalk from a dark and neglected zone to a brightly-lit concourse has turned out to be the only remaining strip of central public space where commoners flock to enjoy the famous sunset of Manila Bay. Because the re-creation of the Baywalk was done with only cursory policy compliance, save for the political objective of producing an attractive public space, it serves rather as a test case for later developments that could spur the formulation of site-specific urban renewal guidelines. This study sought to describe and record for posterity the actual uses of the Baywalk at the height of its revival, prior to mid-year 2007 municipal elections. The results of the study revealed a mix of intended and unintended uses linked to design of the area, in the absence of an overarching planning framework that might have otherwise controlled its now vigorous albeit weakly-regulated commercial activity. Nevertheless, the Baywalk continues to be a work-in-progress, and the study concludes that its redevelopment persists despite the uncertain policy environment.