Renowned Filipino architect and urban planner Felino Palafox urges policymakers to push for walkable and bike-friendly streets to solve traffic congestion in the major cities of the country. The vision of architect Palafox which he shared in his talk at the Global Forum on Research and Innovation for Health 2015, is a transport system that would motivate people to travel on foot, thereby curbing the use of private cars that is becoming the primary cause of traffic congestion.

According to architect Palafox, cities that promote active mobility like walking and cycling may advocate healthy lifestyle, generate economic growth, and build a pleasant community.

The American Heart Association lists physical inactivity as the fourth major risk factor associated with chronic diseases. If they had safe sidewalks and intersections in the cities, people would tend to engage in real physical activity which would help prevent diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular ailments.

Pedestrian friendly and appropriate infrastructure would attract people to access conveniently located shops, businesses, and restaurants. More than that, it would create jobs in the bicycle businesses and promote tourism.

Promoting walking and biking would have good environmental benefits to people in the community. This active mobility may decrease harmful carbon emissions and reduce the rate of injuries and fatalities from motor vehicles.

A city that incorporates biking and walking with other forms of public transportation would provide the right motivation for its citizens to leave their cars and their sedentary lifestyles behind.

The Philippines loses billions of pesos every day from lost productivity due to traffic congestion. In Metro Manila alone, a recent report noted three billion pesos of losses per day because of traffic inefficiency.

Providing safe and appropriate road design in the cities may improve human health, increase commercial profits, and develop a more enjoyable environment.

To fully push for a walkable and bike-friendly cities, Architect Palafox encouraged law makers to enact policies to bring this vision to fruition. To design and plan is a solution, but the key is to engage political solutions to make this a reality, he noted.