QUEZON CITY, 2 December 2024 – Dubbed the arts and food hub of Quezon City, Maginhawa Street also became a center of solidarity and cooperation as community members, local businesses, advocacy groups, youth, and private individuals joined together in establishing shared spaces for cyclists and pedestrians through artistic installations. 

Covering a portion of Maginhawa Street, from its intersection at Magiting Street to the location of the Teachers’ Village East barangay hall, volunteers painted colorful murals along two sides of the street, where one will serve as a shared pathway for cyclists and pedestrians to move around, while the other side will serve as a space for residents and customers of local businesses to lounge and socialize. 

“Maginhawa has gained its popularity, and is continuously thriving because of its local businesses and restaurants, and their sense of community. However, uneven sidewalks and numerous parked cars often lead to traffic congestion, making it difficult and less safe for people to move around the area, especially during evenings. We need to make Maginhawa safer for people to walk, cycle, and visit the shops. It is important that these interventions fit the needs of the community and ensure that they benefit them in every way possible,” said Arielle Celine Tabinga, Urban Development Manager of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC).

These activities in Maginhawa Street, which began in November 23-24 and continued this November 30, are part of the Sparking Active Mobility Actions for Climate-Friendly Cities (SPARK) Project, which aims to utilize tactical urbanism or community-driven actions that involve temporary, small-scale interventions to improve the urban environment of a specific area.

In partnership with the local government of Quezon City, ICSC, and ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) are the implementers of SPARK, in cooperation with Barangay Teachers’ Village East and the Maginhawa Food Community. 

“We are doing the interventions temporarily first using low-cost materials, to test out if it will be effective and if the arrangement will work for the community of Maginhawa,” said James Anthony Oriña, ICLEI Southeast Asia Project Officer.

The SPARK intervention will be implemented until the end of February next year. The local government of Quezon City has already released a traffic advisory informing the public that a one-way traffic scheme will be implemented in the area for the duration of the project.

“If the project is successful, we can explore its expansion to other areas and see if it can be implemented long-term, in consultation with the local government and community members. We hope to bring forward tangible improvements and further promote cycling and walking by creating safer and more inclusive spaces in our streets,” Oriña added.

The community of Maginhawa is not new to solidarity and cooperation. In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the Maginhawa Community Pantry was established to provide aid to those who faced financial challenges during the pandemic and who needed help feeding themselves and their families. The practice was immediately replicated in different areas across the country.

“Gusto ko ma-experience yung pakiramdam nung ginagawa namin ‘yung pantry, ‘yung ma-experience ng mga tao ‘yung sense of community na malaya kang maging ikaw at ‘yung ideas mo ay celebrated. ‘Pag may creativity at community, mas naa-actualize natin yung dream natin, hindi lang para sa sarili natin kundi sa buong komunidad, [I want to experience the feeling back then when we were doing the pantry, where people had a sense of community, where you are free to be you and your ideas are celebrated. When we have creativity and a strong sense of community, we can actualize our dream not just for ourselves but for the whole community],” said Ana Patricia Non, founder of the Maginhawa Community Pantry, who also volunteered in the SPARK Maginhawa intervention last November 30.

“‘Yung project na ito, ang goal niya ay tuparin ang mga pangarap natin as a community… na magkaroon ng safe na community. Bilang pedestrian, gusto ko may sidewalk. Bilang biker, gusto ko may bike lanes. Bilang komunidad, ‘yung mga gusto natin sa sarili natin, ‘yun din ang gusto ng iba, [This project’s goal is to achieve our dream of a safe community. As a pedestrian, I want to have sidewalks. As a cyclist, I want to have bike lanes. As a community, what one wants is also what the others want],” Non added.

Another iteration of the SPARK intervention will also be done in partnership with Pasig City in 2025. For more information about the project, visit https://sustainablemobility.iclei.org/spark/. 

EDITOR’S NOTE
SPARK activities were supposed to continue on December 1, however, they were cancelled because of the continuous downpour of rain. The interventions in Maginhawa will resume Wednesday to Friday this week, and will finish in time for the Maginhawa Arts and Food Festival on December 7, 2024. For inquiries, please contact celine@icsc.ngo.

CONTACT
Sanaf Marcelo, ICSC: media@icsc.ngo, +63 968 886 3466, +63 917 149 5649

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Photos (c) Salie Agustin/ICSC