Adrian Tumang School of Urban and Regional Planning University of the Philippines Research Proposal for Plan 299

Research Title Urban Semiotics1 as an Analytic Technique in Integrating Manilas2 Cultural Conservation and Sustainable Development Agenda in the Renewal of its Historic Run-down Industrial and Commercial Estates: The Case of Binondo and Muelle dela Industria in San Nicolas Research Objective This research proposal seeks to understand the connotative and denotative meanings of the various signs and symbols, both built and unbuilt3, shared by Manilas historic urban districts and explore their social connotations related to ideology and underlying power structures in order to develop sound urban renewal strategies that integrate the conservation and development agenda of the city, and to use this method of inquiry as a guide in designing new sustainable communities that address the problems of increasing homogenization of cities4. Research Questions5 1. How can the city best reconcile its development and conservation agenda without losing its identity and missing out on economic opportunities? a. How can a city take advantage of its culture as a viable asset in attracting investments? b. How can urban semiotics as a field of inquiry help develop an urban redevelopment strategy for the city? i. What memorable qualities of the city set it apart from other cities? ii. How can these qualities be exploited to develop a sustainable brand for the city? iii. What are the signs, symbols, and images that residents (locals) and visitors (tourists) associate with the capital city of Manila? iv. How are the development sites of Manila made legible or meaningful through the use of semiotic resources? v. What are the various points of interest and visual corridors in the areas of study that needed to be conserved?

The definition of urban semiotics varies and needs to be qualified or established. Related terms or key words are urban semiology, urban sociology, visual sociology, urban phenomenology, sense of place, genius loci, spirit of place. Once established, this should become part of the framework.
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Since the topic will rely more on qualitative than quantitative research, it might be helpful to limit the scope or level of analysis to focus on specific areas or inner-city districts in Manila to yield a more accurate result which otherwise may not be representative of the whole Manila and thus cannot be generalized without bias. Possible areas of interest are the strip of shop houses in Bino ndo (the first China town in the world), the area around San Nicolas or Pandacan (the first industrial estate in the Philippines).
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Built elements refer to streets, squares, parks, and buildings while unbuilt elements refer to building codes, planning documents, and popular discourse about the city
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Homogenization refers to the tendency of neighborhoods in different parts of the country to have similar patterns and features which renders the urban environment sterile and devoid of culture and identity.
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These research questions are still subject to modification/revision.

2. In planning for urban redevelopment, how do we distinguish areas of intervention and areas of spontaneous change? a. What are the criteria that will best determine which areas need to be developed or conserved? b. What are the current patterns of development and history of urban morphology in Binondo, San Nicolas, and their surrounding areas? c. What are the current policies of the local government unit and the national government regarding the urban renewal of Manilas run-down districts particularly the areas of study and how successful have these policies been in addressing the problems of urban blight? 3. What are the viable proposals being pushed by the private sector regarding Manilas development and how can these proposals be consolidated into a unifying agenda for the renewal of the area that is also in line with the development goals of the government? Research Methodology6 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Semiotic Analysis Photographic Elicitation and Mental Imaging Review of Literature and Secondary Sources Interviews with Residents and Authorities7 Observation and Scoping

Annotated Bibliography Lico, Gerard. Arkitekturang Filipino: A History of Architecture and Urbanism in the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2010. In-Text Citation: (Lico 2010) Availability: Private Library/Personal Copy Comments: This is by far the latest and most comprehensive academic textbook on the history of Philippine architecture and urbanism. It provides a useful narrative of the early human settlements from the Tabon Cave dwellings up to the most recent property developments like Rockwell Center and Bonifacio Global City. The book is an easy read for those with prior background on art and architecture, and provides useful illustrations to complement the text. Of special interest is its critical appraisal of a trend in real estate where developers would market their products in a way that gives them a certain cultural pedigree or historicity. The author is a professor and campus architect of the University of the Philippines and has written various specialist publications and directed documentaries regarding specific periods in the countrys architectural and urban history. This book is a consolidation of all these materials. The researcher has read the book cover to cover, made notes, and highlighted excerpts that may be useful in the proposed study.
Methodologies cited are tentative and relied heavily on those used in other related studies/research. The researcher is still undecided on a quantitative method to provide more empirical support. Is case study allowed? If so, then a review of literature will be the primary methodology but this will mean that the study will rely mostly on secondary data.
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Researcher will make use of established connections and network to find key authorities to interview but this should come after the proposal is refined and becomes final. Possible contacts are: Prof. Manolo Noche (Trustee, HCS), Ar. Richard Bautista (Trustee, HCS), Claudia Montero and Michelle Ting (Architects, National Museum), Jaja Bariga (Historian/Researcher, Ateneo IPC), Dr. Butch Zialcita (Director, Ateneo IPC), Dr. Darko Radovic (Author, Eco-Urbanity), Prof. Gerard Lico (Professor, UP Archi), Prof. Nick Ramos (Archi Historian/Professor, DLS-CSB)
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Radovic, Darko. Eco-Urbanity: Towards Well-Mannered Built Environments. New York: Routledge, 2009. In-Text Citation: (Radovic 2009) Availability: Private Library/Personal Copy Comments: This book is a collection of case studies, research abstracts, and critical essays that revolve around the idea of eco-urbanity, a concept based on Radovics thesis on sustainable cities. The book subscribes to the 1987 definition of sustainable development by the Brundtland Commission; however it argues further that theres no universal way of addressing sustainability and that each solution is unique to a specific locality and thus cannot be generalized to work with other places. To promote a single strategy to different places of diverse culture is to risk homogenizing local regions. The book highlights cultural sustainability as an equally important aspect of development as environmental sustainability is. This books thesis will guide the framework of the research. The researcher has read the book cover to cover, made notes, and highlighted excerpts that may be useful in the proposed study. The researcher personally met the author in 2010, where the idea of urban semiotics as an approach in studying the city of Manila was first floated and discussed.

Friedman, Thomas. The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization. New York: Anchor Books, 2000. In-Text Citation: (Friedman 2000) Availability: Downloaded E-book/Personal Copy Comments: This book by three-time Pulitzer Prize author Thomas Friedman provides a theory that the world is experiencing a struggle between economic development represented by the Lexus and cultural conservation represented by the Olive tree. Basically, it focuses on the positive and negative impacts of globalization, an often misunderstood concept as the author claims which went into full swing after the Cold War. This book was mentioned during a graduate school lecture of Prof. Jed Gomez in UP SURP entitled Cities around the Globe and Alternative Geographies. The researcher has read part one entitled Seeing the System and highlighted excerpts mostly on the discussion in chapters 3, 4, and 6. The text will provide useful insights that will help introduce the topic of the research and the conditions that led to its formulation.

Lynch, Kevin. The Image of the City. The MIT Press, 1960. In-Text Citation: (Lynch 1960) Availability: Downloaded E-book/Personal Copy Comments: Lynch is a common suggested or required reading material in almost any urban theory class. The book provides an early and basic introduction on a semiotic approach in the way people view cities. The author claims that a city can be appreciated through its imageability and legibility. Lynch posits five elements of cities: districts, edges, paths, nodes, and landmarks. This book has been an influential material in the study of urban planning. The researcher notes valid criticisms on the shortcomings of the book as a reference material in the study of urban semiotics since it only focuses on the functional meanings of space and is limited in its analysis of urban areas on a denotative level without looking at its connotative meanings.

Hassenpflug, Dieter. The Urban Code of China. Germany: Birkhuser Architecture, 2010. In-Text Citation: (Hassenpflug 2010) Availability: Private Library/Personal Copy Comments: This book contains the study of the author on how to read Chinese cities. Basically, he argues that a city is a socio-cultural text that can be read and interpreted through their spatial grammar and syntax, and that urban elements are signifiers which refer to something signified. His approach and treatise of the topic is perhaps closest to what the researcher is trying to achieve in understanding how to read Manila. The similarity in objectives makes this book an invaluable reference for the research. The book becomes doubly relevant since the proposed area of study is in Binondo, the worlds first Chinatown. Of particular interest are chapter 1 (How to read a city?), and chapter 8 (The Chinese city as a semiotic system). The Introduction also provides useful discourse on urban semiotics. The book also made a critical appraisal of imposing western urban structures in a Chinese city as in the case of Anting New Town. This provides insights in support of Radovics theory on cultural sustainability as discussed in his own research. The researcher has read the book cover to cover, made notes, and highlighted excerpts that may be useful in the proposed study.

Nas, Peter J. M. Cities Full of Symbols: A Theory of Urban Space and Culture. Leiden University Press, 2012. In-Text Citation: (Nas 2012) Availability: Downloaded E-book/Personal Copy Comments: This relatively new publication is a collection of critical essays by internationally renowned sociologists, social geographers, and historians on the role of architecture beyond shelter. It looks into the cultural, political, and philosophical meanings of architectural symbols in the urban landscape. Notable case studies included are the September 11 memorial designs, the design of the city of Cape Town as a remnant of Dutch colonialism, and the image of the ship washed ashore by a tsunami in Banda Aceh. This book could provide valuable insights to support the framework of the research. The researcher has read the first two chapters of the book.

Chu, Richard. Chinese and Chinese Mestizos of Manila: Family, Identity and Culture 1860s to 1930s. Mandaluyong: Anvil Publishing, Inc., 2012. In-Text Citation: (Chu 2012) Availability: National Bookstore P650 and Anvil; UST Benavides Library; Ateneo Rizal Library Comments: This book would add a social dimension in the study of the urban form of Binondo. From the publisher: This book examines the everyday practices of Chinese merchant families in Manila from the 1860s to the 1930s. The result is a fascinating study of how families and individuals creatively negotiated their identities in ways that challenge our understanding of the genesis of ethnic identities in the Philippines.

Viana, Lorelei D. C. De. Three Centuries of Binondo Architecture 1594-1898: A SocioHistorical Perspective. Manila: University of Santo Tomas Press, 2001. In-Text Citation: (Viana 2001) Availability: UST Publishing House; Also in Powerbooks Comments: This book is part of the compendium of literature that guides the research project currently being undertaken by the Ateneo de Manila Universitys Institute of Philippine Culture, a research institute under its School of Social Sciences. The project is about the architectural heritage of Metro Manila where this researcher used to assist on a part-time basis. This book discusses the historical patterns of the founding of Binondo itself and its major architectural works from 16th to 19th century. Methodologies used in this study are: secondary data analysis of house plans from the Philippine National Archives, photographs, maps, plans from Archives of the Archdiocese of Manila and the Archives of the University of Santo Tomas, rare books, and graduate theses.

Alarcon, Norma. The Imperial Tapestry : American Colonial Architecture in the Philippines . Manila: University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, 2008. In-Text Citation: (Alarcon 2008) Availability: UST Benavides Library; Also available in Powerbooks Trinoma branch Comments: This book is written by the researchers professor in undergraduate school. It provides a comprehensive history of the evolution of Philippine architecture during the American occupation period. It must be noted that the American occupation of the Philippines started during the Spanish-American War around the late 19th century. This is about the same time that the Industrial Revolution was at its peak and therefore can provide an overview of the situation of the industrial development in the Philippines. It must also be noted that public works and infrastructure are one of the most important contributions of the United States to the Philippines. However, the researcher noted a warning raised by a colleague from the Heritage Conservation Society, who claims that the book relied heavily on secondary sources. Furthermore, a critical review of the book by UP professor Emilio Ozaeta (the researchers review instructor) appeared in a peer-reviewed journal entitled Espasyo (Vol. 1 No. 1) published by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, cautioning readers about the books disconcerting take or viewpoint regarding the subject. In consideration of these critical opinions raised by the authors peers and colleagues, the researcher deemed it prudent to verify data from this book and as much as possible limit its use except to provide context and also to cite images from its vast collection of archival photographs not available in other materials.

Reid, Anthony. Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450-1680: Volume 1: The Lands below the Winds. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. . Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450-1680: Volume 2: Expansion and Crisis. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995. In-Text Citation: (Reid, Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450-1680: Volume 1: The Lands below the Winds 1988); (Reid, Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450-1680: Volume 2: Expansion and Crisis 1995)

Availability: Unknown8 Comments: From the publisher: Anthony Reid has analyzed and vividly portrayed this Southeast Asian Age of Commerce in two volumes. The first volume, published in 1988 to great acclaim, explored the physical, material, cultural, and social structures of the region. The concluding volume focuses on the profound changes that defined the Age of Commerce as a period. The spice trade that animated the global boom of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries made possible revolutionary changes in urbanization, commercialization, state structure, and belief. Islam, Christianity, and Theravada Buddhism made rapid gains in alliance with the new states. Reid discerns common ground between these developments and the forces transforming Europe and Japan but identifies particular limitations on the growth of private capital and the stability of states in Southeast Asia. A final chapter explores the crisis in the midseventeenth century that disengaged Southeast Asians from the world economy for the next three centuries.

References9 Alarcon, Norma. The Imperial Tapestry : American Colonial Architecture in the Philippines . Manila: University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, 2008. Chu, Richard. Chinese and Chinese Mestizos of Manila: Family, Identity and Culture 1860s to 1930s. Mandaluyong: Anvil Publishing, Inc., 2012. Friedman, Thomas. The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization. New York: Anchor Books, 2000. Hassenpflug, Dieter. The Urban Code of China. Germany: Birkhuser Architecture, 2010. Javellana, Rene, Fernando Nakpil Zialcita, Elizabeth Reyes, and Luca Invernizzi Tettoni. Filipino Style. Tuttle Publishing, 2004. Joaquin, Nick. Culture and History. Manila: Anvil Publishing, 2004. Lico, Gerard. Arkitekturang Filipino: A History of Architecture and Urbanism in the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2010. Lynch, Kevin. The Image of the City. The MIT Press, 1960. Nas, Peter J. M. Cities Full of Symbols: A Theory of Urban Space and Culture. Leiden University Press, 2012. Radovic, Darko. Eco-Urbanity: Towards Well-Mannered Built Environments . New York: Routledge, 2009. Reid, Anthony. Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450-1680: Volume 1: The Lands below the Winds. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988.

This should be available for borrowing in UP SURP library or for special order either in Powebooks or Fullybooked bookstores.

This is a partial list only. All references cited are published books. Research papers to be used are not yet cited as these are still being collated. Other materials listed here were not yet included in the annotated bibliography as these are still being reviewed.
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. Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450-1680: Volume 2: Expansion and Crisis. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995. Urhahn, Gert. The Spontaneous City. BIS Publishers, 2011. Viana, Lorelei D. C. De. Three Centuries of Binondo Architecture 1594-1898: A Socio-Historical Perspective. Manila: University of Santo Tomas Press, 2001. Villalon, Augusto. Lugar: Essays on Philippine Heritage and Architecture . New York: Bookmark Publishing , 2001. Zialcita, Fernando. Quiapo: Heart of Manila. Manila: Quiapo Printing Inc., 2006.