MOST Philippine cities have a serious shortage of safe spaces for walking and cycling — places where people of all ages and abilities — can move around independently. So, when such spaces become available, people naturally flock to these sites to enjoy the experience, especially with friends and loved ones.
One of the places that demonstrates the huge value of safe places for walking and cycling is the historic district of Intramuros, including the nearby Pasig River Esplanade. My family and I visited Intramuros during the recent holidays and were very impressed with its transformation into a haven for people who love walking, running and biking. On any day of the week, even in the evenings, there are large numbers of visitors, Filipinos and foreigners, enjoying the many attractions of Intramuros.
What enabled Intramuros to bring in many more tourists daily? I would attribute it to two main factors. First, with a budget of P64 million from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), about 10 kilometers of two-directional bike lanes were introduced in 2024 (involving an implementation period of less than two years). Because the bike lanes are in brightly colored asphalt, they are highly visible and likely to be respected by motor vehicles. Today, the Intramuros bike lanes also serve as safe pedestrian pathways in sections of the road where sidewalks might be obstructed or too narrow. Persons using wheelchairs or strollers are also able to use the bike lanes to easily move around.
As part of the same DOTr project, General Luna Street, one of the main avenues in Intramuros, was pedestrianized or permanently closed to all motor vehicles. This created a wide, safe, well-lit pathway connecting Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral, Plaza Roma and the San Agustin Church. This car-free corridor has become a major magnet for tourists, inviting them to stroll up and down its entire length and to visit its many museums, shops and restaurants.
Second, the Intramuros Administration, under the leadership of Joan Padilla, has opened several new museums and events venues within the walled city and marketed these aggressively, using digital and social media tools. One is the Bagumbayan Light and Sound Museum and its well-crafted multimedia presentations that display and explain the many challenges, setbacks and triumphs in the birth of the Filipino nation. Another is the beautifully designed Centro de Turismo de Intramuros Museum with its magnificent collection of artifacts and grand exhibition hall. Older museums like Bahay Tsinoy have renovated their facilities and updated their exhibits.
The impact of these relatively small but strategic investments is today visible and tangible. Many more tourists and visitors are drawn to Intramuros. Once they visit, they want to return to take in more of the air, food, culture and street life. Local business enterprises are feeling the difference. On the day we visited Intramuros, all the bamboo bicycles of Bambike on General Luna Street were being rented.
My friend, Ivan Man Dy, founder of Old Manila Walks and one of the pioneers in local walking tours, observed that improved pedestrian and cycling infrastructure had not only brought more tourists to Intramuros — there was even demand now for night-time walking tours. This would not have been possible without the push for safer, more accessible sidewalks and better street lighting These improvements in active transport and accessibility infrastructure should not be confined to tourism districts like Intramuros; they should be replicated in all urban areas throughout the country. We should not forget that most Filipinos want their localities to be walkable and bikeable. A survey of Social Weather Stations in November 2020 found that 85 percent of Filipinos want their localities to become great places for walking and cycling. The same survey found that 87 percent agreed that public transport, pedestrians and bicycles should be prioritized over private motor vehicles on Philippine roads. Pedestrianized streets not only facilitate mobility, they also promote community cohesion, healthier and more active lifestyles and more secure environments with more “eyes on the street.”
There is also a global trend towards making more streets car-free and therefore more friendly and conducive for public transport, walking and cycling. In 2025, Parisians voted to close 500 more streets to motor vehicle traffic; in London, sections of major roads such as Oxford Street, Regent Street and Picadilly Circus will soon be pedestrianized; in Barcelona, the popular walking street, La Rambla, will be expanded and further widened.
The trend isn’t confined to Europe. Check out these six streets in the US that will also be open and safe for pedestrians: Sunset Dunes in San Francisco, California; Monroe Street in Detroit, Michigan; Post Street in San Jose, California; A Street Promenade in Bentonville, Arizona; 18th Street in Kansas City, Missouri; and Main Street in Houston, Texas.
Wouldn’t it be great if every barangay pedestrianized at least one street? It would make the Philippines a much more walkable, bikeable and livable country.
Robert Y. Siy is a development economist, city and regional planner and public transport advocate. He is a co-convenor of the Move As One Coalition. He can be reached at mobilitymatters.ph@yahoo.com or followed on X @RobertRsiy.
Source: The immense value of safe spaces for walking and biking
