SUPER GREEN - the International Academy of Design and Health

Design & Health Scientific ReviewStreet vendor concentration nodes scattered throughout the central business districtAn important part of the environmental design plan isto ‘pedestrianise’ several streets in the CBDand 11 years. Vendors choose to engage inthis type of street occupation• They work long hours – 10 hours a day,Monday to Sunday – and earn only aboutUS$20 a week.The research siteBaguio City’s central business district issituated in a deep valley with four arterialstreets leading to it. In the early 1900s thelocation was selected by the Americancolonialists as a resting and healing place fortheir troops. Documents written by militaryphysicians have chronicled the positiveimpact of this upland city on soldiers’ healthbecause of its high elevation and cool air.From a quiet convalescent place, Baguio Citytransformed throughout the centuries into abusy economic engine for the region.At the initial phase of this longitudinalstudy, the vendor spaces were measured,together with sidewalk widths and otherphysical attributes. The space metrics showthat 44% of vendors are located in relativelyfl at areas and 56% are sited on steepinclines 5 . Topography is an important factorin the entrapment of air pollution, which inturn affects health conditions.Another signifi cant feature of the centralbusiness district is the high traffi c volume thathas exceeded its streets’ carrying capacity.Major colleges and universities, governmentoffi ces, as well as the city market, aremagnets that draw people and diesel-runvehicles to its centre. Idling vehicles in theland basin and those running uphill on steepinclines contribute to the mix of polluted airand noise.Also important to this study of place andhealth is Baguio’s local climate. Elevatedat 5,000 feet above sea level, the cityexperiences temperatures ranging from10ºC during the cold months of December,January and February to around 30ºCduring the warm months of March, Apriland May. Cold temperatures often create aninversion effect that traps polluted air duringthe early mornings. Warm weather, on theother hand, often brings an onset of gastrointestinaldiseases because of food-bornebacteria found in non-refrigerated foodsthat vendors either sell or pack from home.It is also known for its prolonged monsoonseason in which rainy weather is evidentfrom June to early September. During thisseason, a rise in the incidence of fl u andother respiratory problems is common.Vendor sites & urban architectureThe local spaces that hold vendors’microbusinesses are varied, interesting andindicative of socio-economic factors. Forexample, the vendors who have establishedtheir territories for many years are locatedin spaces that are mostly fl at and have highpedestrian traffi c. Relative newcomers areleft with secondary spaces in minor streetswith moderate foot traffi c. Vendors selecttheir spaces based on the type of productssold, friendships and ethnic affi liation. Fruitvendors tend to settle in places adjacentto eateries while those selling hard goodslike t-shirts, DVDs and household productsare found close to banks and retail outlets.However, most, if not all, vendors use a partof the physical environment as a basis fortheir location decisions.The urban architecture found in centralBaguio City is characterised by diversebuilding types, uses and forms. Four- tofi ve-storied modern designed buildingsframe the main street. Other buildings aremodest, with only three stories withordinary architecture.Building architecture impacts on thequality of vendor sites. For example, only25% of vendors are located under buildingoverhangs that span the entire sidewalk.In fact, about 32% of vendors are in sitesthat are not under any overhang. They areexposed to climactic elements like themonsoon rains and cold mountain air.Integral to urban architecture is thepresence of sidewalks fronting the buildings.As the owners have responsibility forconstructing and maintaining sidewalks, the00 56 Summer October 2008 | WORLD HEALTH DESIGN