About Social Media Today
According to artist Mark Salvatus, Manila is a bustling city crying out for reinvention at a town-planning level — a reinvention which is too important to leave to the planners — and which requires input from all it’s residents.
“We are affected by these problems in the Metro Manila; why don’t we cure these problems ourselves?” Asks Salvatus | Image courtesy of Mark Salvatus
For his Show Us Your City entry Mark submitted Neo-Urban Planner, a call for discussion into the ways Manila can be reshaped, and an “online suggestion box” and starting point for engaged urbanism. Rather than pondering the possibilities all on his own Mark sent a call out to fellow city dwellers, while in residency at the Green Papaya Art Projects, to get their input and solutions.
The suggested solutions been thoughtful and playful, responding to local challenges — from seasonal flooding to transport issues to the spreading concrete grey of a rapidly growing city — in inventive ways, and have come from sources as diverse as local artists, children and the Mayor of Bogota, Colombia.
“These are suggestions from the citizens and for the benefit of the citizens,” Mark told Varsitarian. “We are affected by these problems in the Metro Manila; why don’t we cure these problems ourselves?”
“I’ve lived in the city most of my life,” Salvatus told the publication. “I have experienced the chaos of Metro Manila, and as an artist, I want to improve city life.”
“Neo-urban planning somewhat became a platform to present the people’s creative ideas for change in their cities, and eventually present these ideas to local officials.”
The project gets us all thinking: how would you re-shape your city?
Mark Salvatus is one of the shortlisted entrants in our Show Us Your City competition. Explore personal journeys through the most creative cities in East Asia with a walk in Seoul, a tribute to the suburbs of Sydney, a peek into the creative spaces of Manila, or, in Singapore, through a photo diary or a study of contested spaces. Stay tuned for more!
