Manila Metropolitan Area

Abstract

Metro Manila, the national capital region of the Philippines, is one of the megacities in Asia. This chapter traces its origin and examines its urban primacy. It also examines the recent (1993–2014) and potential future (2014–2030) urban land changes, i.e., changes from non-built-up to built-up lands, in Metro Manila and its surrounding areas using geospatial tools and techniques. Some of the possible key factors influencing the urban development of Metro Manila and the potential implications of its rapid population growth and urban land changes to its future sustainable urban development are discussed. The analysis showed compelling evidence for Metro Manila’s urban primacy over the other metropolitan areas and regions in the country based on population and gross domestic product. Over the past 21 years (1993–2014), the area of built-up lands has increased almost twofold, transforming the landscape of Metro Manila and its surrounding areas. The relatively small land area of Metro Manila, its geographic characteristics and population and economic growth, the concentration of key urban functions/services and opportunities in the area, and its accessibility are hypothesized to be among the key factors influencing the spatiotemporal patterns of urban land changes and the overall urban development of the region. The simulated urban land changes indicated that built-up lands would continue to expand in the future (2014–2030) under the influence of infill and sprawl development patterns. The intensifying pressure of urbanization due to rapid population growth and urban land changes poses many challenges that need to be considered in sustainable urban development and landscape planning.