Livable Neighbourhoods for Whom? Colonial to Post-colonial Open Spaces, Realities, and Challenges Towards the Promotion of Quality of Life

The paper emphasizes the significance of open spaces in any society. Open spaces are used to achieve socio-political goals and to improve the physical health of citizens and neighborhoods. Open spaces are also used as sites of meaning contestation between various groups and institutions. It argues, using the City of Manila as a case study, that the development of open space is critical in promoting the quality of life in cities. The open space typology, based on form, function, scale, and land cover, is used to provide a versatile framework for the study's diverse periods and varying spatial scales. To accomplish this, the paper provides a historical overview of how policies promoting public urban open space networks have evolved from colonial times to the present. It also looks at how different actors, ideas, and events have influenced the evolution of open spaces. Finally, the study makes recommendations on how to broaden the current urban policy framework to address policy gaps, overlaps, and conflicts, thereby creating a space conducive to addressing urban quality of life development issues and challenges and, ultimately, improving the quality of the city.