Responsible Urban Planning

I am on my way home last night when I noticed that the entire portion of Nueva Vizcaya Street where SMDC's Grass Residences construction is ongoing is closed. My apartment is across the entrance of the said property and I pass through the construction site everyday and every night. I am neither an architect nor an engineer but I learned that developing such property should require serious consideration of how it could affect everything and everyone not only when the project is done but also while the construction is ongoing.

A roaming barangay mobile consistently warns the neighborhood especially those who lives along Nueva Vizcaya street that there's an ongoing trouble with a crane that can just collapse anytime, strangle the aerial cables and/or smash some of the houses around it. The officials are telling people to be extra careful. Residents of the area were asked to take a different route to get home however, I passed through the construction site (unavoidable, I need to really pass through it to reach my apartment) and I didn't see anything done to prevent the crane from possibly falling. I hate that I wasn't able to take a picture of it as my phone's camera isn't taking good night shots and my digicam is busted. Prince goes home a little later than I do and he managed to speak with some of the construction workers standing by and they said that they already seek help from DSWD and maybe some people in the media will also be there.

I expected that this would at least be in the news to warn people who's used to passing through this way so I searched google for the latest news right away - zero result. The only thing I found related to it is this article by Mr. Ducky Paredes that discussed about how the development of another SMDC property made the neighborhood badly affected by the typhoon 'Ondoy' last year.

I have nothing against construction of high-rise condominiums in the metro which is becoming rampant these days. In fact, I would like to buy a unit for myself as it's very practical for a starting family in my opinion. Responsible urban planning can be very beneficial to everyone. It just requires commitment, consideration for the majority's interest and conscience.

The street is still closed today. I am hoping that nobody gets hurt and that they can figure out how to assure safety in the neighborhood can be maintained before, during and after the construction.