Picture this: a 2-lane road from North to South, a stretch of highway with wild grass and plants, and farmers tilling their small plots of land. A quick drive along the vehicle-starved road gives the passenger a blast of warm, fresh rustic air.
This was the EDSA of the 1930’s, then known as North-South Circumferential Road.
Fast forward to the present: a multi-lane highway lined with monoxide-spewing factories; a river devoid of fish; lanes jampacked with trucks, cars and buses enveloped in smog, heat, and a population of urbanites weaving in and out of its many intersections, exhausted from the stresses of daily urban living. This is our EDSA, the main artery linking Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares, now a major challenge to the metropolis’ productivity and the people’s health and well-being.
But challenges give rise to opportunities and solutions. As the world began to see the value of sustainable living, SMDC envisioned the rebirth of EDSA, anchored on what truly matters to the Filipino: an enhanced quality of life that can be enjoyed by many generations to come. It means addressing the three elements of sustainable living: economic, environmental and social.
SMDC’s dream of an EDSA re-birth is given a new life on Earth Day 2021 with the launching of the Green EDSA Movement at Fame Residences in Mandaluyong City, which, by itself provides that much-valued breathing space in this busy thoroughfare through its tree-lined walkway and a wide, welcoming lush façade. In addition, the property has energy-saving features: a detention tank for reusable water harvesting, motion sensors for common-area lighting and exterior curtain walls to allow natural light. Both residents and passersby enjoy natural light and ventilation and lots of greenery in this part of the bustling 23-km stretch.
Envision a highway lined with greens, a variety of plants giving off fresh air in lieu of smog, with spacious sidewalks where people can leisurely stroll and relish the cityscape. Urban space filled with cool splashes of mint-colored outdoor ornamentals against wood, sanctuaries of peace and quiet offering restoration to the wearied urban dweller’s soul during the daily commute.
That is the Green EDSA dream.
For SMDC, it means extending to this major thoroughfare the sustainable community that its residents have been enjoying: a vibrant and dynamic urban community with people whose physical, mental and social needs are met through healthy outdoor living.
Being situated at a major thoroughfare places people at the center of economic opportunities, but living sustainably requires a place where people can enjoy greenery and open spaces that allow them to breathe and provide opportunities for social connection. This is the same principle that has defined SMDC’s developments – starting from its EDSA properties, Sea and Shell Residences in the MOA Complex, where EDSA begins, to the central EDSA properties, Fame Residences, Light and Light 2 Residences, all the way to properties in North EDSA and in the country’s other major CBDs.
By putting green, landscaped spaces closer to urban residents, and giving them adequate opportunities for exposure to Nature, SMDC continues to promote sustainable development – creating healthy communities where people can live securely, safely, happily, not only today but, more importantly, in the days to come, so they will continue to thrive and enjoy life to the best and fullest.
Article and Photo originally posted by Inquirer last April 22, 2021, 2:00pm.
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