Baguio City Comprehensive Land Use Plan

[Vernon]

TheCPDO under Arch. Donna Tabangin facilitated a three-day characterization and analysis seminar-workshop participated in by members of the multi-sectoral technical working groups of the city planning team to come up with technical assessment and analysis of the different sectors, namely the social, economic, physical, infrastructure, green growth urbanism, climate change adaption, and institutional sectors.

This phase involves the data collection, review and validation, maps and graphics preparation, inter and intra-area analysis of data on population, settlements and social services, area economy, infrastructure, land use and environment and institutional capability.

By September, the city is expected to conduct the comprehensive land use planning proper, which covers vision setting, goal formulation, alternative strategies generation and evaluation of alternative spatial strategies and the conduct of the second public consultation.

They will move on to detailing the preferred spatial strategy, preparation of the CLUP and the drafting of the zoning ordinance before conducting the third public consultation where the CLUP and the zoning ordinance will be presented to the public.

In October, the focus will be the drafting of the medium-term Comprehensive Development Plan and Local Development Investment Plan composed of the development plans on the social, economic, environmental management, infrastructure and physical and institutional sectors and the local government investment programming and implementation instruments. These will again be presented to the public in another public consultation.

In Maryland, zoning must be consistent with planned land use, therefore most of the proposed zoning changes are to align with the adopted Plan2040 Planned Land Use Map, which the County Council adopted in May 2021. There may also be updates initiated by property owners who apply to change their zoning, and there may be additional updates proposed by County staff and community stakeholders as part of the Region Plan process.

The County will conduct comprehensive zoning in tandem with Region Plans. Regions 2, 4, and 7 will undergo comprehensive zoning starting in 2023. Sign up to receive updates via email about the comprehensive zoning process.

Zoning is a tool used to guide how land is developed or preserved. The zoning map classifies land in the County into zoning districts where different types of land uses, such as residential, commercial, and industrial, are allowed. The zoning code includes a set of bulk regulations, such as lot coverage, density, and building height, that help determine the form of development.

The generalized Zoning Map gives a quick view of how the County has been zoned. For the zoning of individual properties you may check the MyAnneArundel App. For more information about comprehensive zoning, please refer to County Code 18-2-106.

The public will have multiple opportunities to review and comment on proposed updates. In addition to the generalized review windows outlined below, staff will hold drop-in sessions in each Region where the public can review and comment on the draft maps in person.

The public will have multiple opportunities to review and comment on proposed updates to zoning in Regions 1, 3, and 9. In addition to the generalized review windows outlined below, staff will hold drop-in sessions in each Region where the public can review and comment on the draft map in person.

During Round 1, covering Regions 2, 4, and 7, property owners and representatives submitted zoning change applications closer to the end of the schedule for the region planning process. In Round 2, covering Regions 1, 3, and 9, zoning change applications are being accepted near the beginning of the process. OPZ identified this change from Round 1 to allow for additional time to comprehensively review and analyze the zoning maps earlier in the process. This is accomplished by moving the property owner application period closer to the beginning of the process. The change also contributes to a reduction of the overall schedule for Round 2 Region Plans, from 36 months to 24 months. Only properties located in Regions 1, 3, and 9 are eligible to request a zoning change at this time; property owners in the remaining three Regions (5, 6, and 8) will have an opportunity to apply for changes when those Region Plans reach this step of the process in Fall 2024.

Comprehensive zoning typically occurs after a comprehensive planning process such as the General Development Plan or smaller area master plans. Anne Arundel County adopted its first zoning map in 1952. The County has conducted comprehensive zoning four times since then:

Where urbanization trends are concerned, the Asia and Pacific region is an easy example. Having experienced rapid urbanization in the past decades due to unprecedented economic development, the region is projected to be cradling two-thirds of the world's urban population by 2050.

The Southeast Asian cities are growing fast with an annual growth of 1.4%, higher than the global average, which is 0.9%. This trend does not come as a surprise because Southeast Asian economies are shifting to industry and services centered in cities. In addition to being major manufacturing centers, cities are also national centers of education, science, technology, and innovation.

Generating 80% of global GDP, cities attract people, especially those wanting to be near opportunities like jobs, business, and top educational institutions. Migration to cities fuels the speed and scale of urbanization, creating development challenges, including growing infrastructure deficits, increasing risks of climate change and disasters, environmental stress and, just recently, a global pandemic.

While cities fuel economic growth, they are also vulnerable. The cities' physical form and land use patterns are outpaced by the urban population growth creating unsustainable urban expansion. Significant gains have been seen since 2008 in the expansion of water supply and sanitation services across Southeast Asia, but the gap in service provision remains significant in all countries in Southeast Asia, except the most advanced countries like Singapore and Malaysia.

In the Philippines, the city of Baguio in the northern part of the country is home to 345,366 people. In a tropical country like the Philippines, Baguio is a major tourist destination due to its cool climate. In 2019, the 49-km2 city recorded an estimated tourist arrival of 1.7 million. The hot months of April and May recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals, with an average of 100,000 a month (Source).

"Among the ongoing challenges cited by the city as contributing factors to flooding include drains blocked by the accumulation of garbage, limited capacity of the city's drainage system, siltation, and narrowing of waterways due to the encroachment of settlements along with easement areas," said ADB's Urban Financing Partnership Facility group in their 2020 annual report. In addition, "climate change is only expected to exacerbate rain-induced landslides and flooding events due to the frequency and intensity of rainfall in the city," the report said.

Specifically for interventions to help Baguio City become a resilient and smart city, the ASEAN Australia Smart Cities Trust Fund (AASCTF), a trust fund under the UFPF, initiated the 'Baguio City Smart Flood Early Warning, Information and Mitigation System' project, which runs from July 2020 to December 2021, to help improve the city's flood early warning systems, responses, and mitigation measures.

This approach included the Mixed Methods Gender and Inclusion Study, which aimed to improve the understanding of decision-makers about drivers of gendered vulnerability and how these affect flood early warning systems needs within and between communities. The study also aimed to link the needs of vulnerable and marginalized groups to meaningful planning of preparedness and response actions; and improve representation and inclusion of marginalized groups in the early warning system.

At the end of the project, countries in Southeast Asia will have improved planning, project design, and readiness. The TA facility specifically provides for planning and design, enabling projects to be procurement-ready, including spatial, inclusive, climate-resilient, and participatory planning approaches.

In the case of Baguio City, a Baseline Assessment Workshop led by the AASCTF team was conducted in December 2020. At the workshop, city stakeholders provided feedback and insights on the early-stage development of the project.

The Mixed Methods Gender and Inclusion Study captured a diverse range of experiences and perspectives on early warning systems, and harnessed the perspectives, skills, and knowledge of the varied communities in Baguio City. Key informants to the inclusion study highlighted those most adversely impacted by flooding, which are the vulnerable groups including people with disabilities, homeless people, elderly women, women with children, and individuals without the ability to swim. Proactive efforts were made to incorporate the needs, priorities, and capabilities of marginalized gender groups, and magnify their voices at every stage of the flood early warning system.

"During the interactive workshop, stakeholders affirmed flooding and landslides as the main hazards in the city, and insufficiencies in budget, data, and knowledge as the top challenges shaping Baguio's response to climate hazards," reports the UFPF.

The city's mayor, Benjamin Magalong, expressed support and hope for the project. "The smart city flood early warning, information, and mitigation system project is indeed very timely," said Mayor Magalong, "as we are updating the city's Comprehensive Land Use Plan so that we can mainstream disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the plan, and eventually improve the resilience of the local communities from any disaster including the COVID-19 pandemic."

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