“EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF REDEVELOPMENT ON THE STA.

CRUZ PLAZA IN
ILOCOS SUR: A CASE STUDY OF MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES AND COMMUNITY
IMPACTS

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

THE STUDY FOCUSES ON THE REDEVELOPMENT OF SANTA CRUZ PLAZA IN
ILOCOS SUR, DUE TO ONGOING MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES. ISSUES INCLUDE
DETERIORATING INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUTDATED FACILITIES, LIMITING THE
PLAZA'S APPEAL AND FUNCTIONALITY. THE REDEVELOPMENT AIMS TO REVITALIZE
THE PLAZA, MAKING IT MORE INVITING AND ACCESSIBLE FOR RESIDENTS AND
VISITORS BY ADDRESSING THESE CONCERNS. THIS INCLUDES ENSURING IT MEETS
MODERN SAFETY AND USABILITY STANDARDS.
FORMAL PUBLIC PLACES SUCH AS TOWN SQUARES AND PLAZAS ARE VITAL
FOR CULTIVATING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS. THOMPSON AND KENT (2014) ARGUE
THAT THESE SPACES SERVE AS PLATFORMS FOR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS THAT
ENHANCE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THE AUTHORS HIGHLIGHT THE ROLE OF PUBLIC
PLACES IN PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY GATHERINGS, THEREBY
STRENGTHENING SOCIAL TIES AND PROMOTING A SENSE OF BELONGING AMONG
RESIDENTS.
THE STUDY EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING THESE
CHALLENGES TO DEVELOP A THOROUGH PLAN THAT REVITALIZES THE PLAZA WHILE
ENSURING ITS LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND USABILITY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THIS EXAMINATION IS ESSENTIAL AS IT REVEALS EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR
MANAGING AND ENHANCING PUBLIC SPACES THAT PLAY A KEY ROLE IN FOSTERING
SOCIAL INTERACTION AND LOCAL CULTURE, ULTIMATELY IMPROVING THE
EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.

MAIN OBJECTIVES
 IDENTIFY THE PRIMARY MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES CURRENTLY AFFECTING
THE TOWN PLAZA, INCLUDING STRUCTURAL ISSUES, LANDSCAPING
CONCERNS, AND ACCESSIBILITY BARRIERS, TO ESTABLISH A COMPREHENSIVE
UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXISTING CONDITIONS THAT NECESSITATE
REDEVELOPMENT.
 DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN PLAZA
THAT ADDRESSES IDENTIFIED MAINTENANCE ISSUES WHILE ENHANCING THE
AESTHETIC APPEAL, FUNCTIONALITY, AND SAFETY OF THE SPACE, ENSURING
IT MEETS THE NEEDS OF DIVERSE USER GROUPS.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
 ANALYZE THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE TOWN PLAZA TO IDENTIFY
SPECIFIC MAINTENANCE ISSUES THAT HINDER ITS FUNCTIONALITY AND
AESTHETIC APPEAL.
 EVALUATE POTENTIAL DESIGN SOLUTIONS THAT CAN EFFECTIVELY MITIGATE
MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES WHILE PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY AND
LONGEVITY OF THE TOWN PLAZA.
 INVESTIGATE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND PREFERENCES REGARDING THE TOWN
PLAZA TO ENSURE THAT REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS ALIGN WITH PUBLIC
EXPECTATIONS AND ENHANCE USER EXPERIENCE.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS RESEARCH LIES IN ITS FOCUS ON THE
REDEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN PLAZA, WHICH HAS FACED VARIOUS MAINTENANCE
CHALLENGES. THE STUDY SEEKS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT REVITALIZING THIS PUBLIC
SPACE CAN IMPROVE RESIDENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE BY OFFERING A DESIGNATED
AREA FOR RELAXATION AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES. BY TACKLING THE CURRENT
PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTING VIABLE SOLUTIONS, THE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS THE
PLAZA'S ESSENTIAL ROLE AS A SOCIAL CENTER THAT PROMOTES COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT AND OVERALL WELL-BEING.
SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
THE STUDY FOCUSES ON THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN PLAZA, WHICH
HAS ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL MAINTENANCE ISSUES. THE RESEARCH TOOK PLACE
IN STA. CRUZ, ILOCOS SUR DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST IN THE YEAR 2024.
THE RESEARCH RELIED SOLELY ON PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ARTICLES AND
EXISTING STUDIES FOR ITS DATA. THIS MEANS THAT THE FINDINGS AND
CONCLUSIONS DRAWN WERE NOT BASED ON NEW EXPERIMENTS OR ORIGINAL DATA
COLLECTION, BUT RATHER ON WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DOCUMENTED IN THE
ACADEMIC LITERATURE. BY USING THIS APPROACH, THE STUDY AIMED TO
SYNTHESIZE AND ANALYZE THE INFORMATION THAT WAS ALREADY AVAILABLE,
RATHER THAN EXPLORE NEW AREAS.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

REDEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
OF THE STA CRUZ INTERACTION
PLAZA AND
ENGAGEMENT

FIGURE 1. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

FIGURE 1 PRESENTS THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY. IT

CONSISTS OF TWO VARIABLES, REDEVELOPMENT OF THE STA CRUZ PLAZA AS AN
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE AND COMMUNITY INTERACTION AND ENGAGEMENT AS THE
DEPENDENT VARIABLE.
IN FIGURE 1, THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE STA. CRUZ PLAZA AS AN
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE INVOLVES A DETAILED PLAN DESIGNED TO BREATHE NEW
LIFE INTO THIS CENTRAL PUBLIC SPACE, IMPROVING BOTH ITS FUNCTIONALITY AND
VISUAL CHARM. THIS INITIATIVE AIMS TO TURN THE PLAZA INTO A LIVELY CENTER FOR
COMMUNITY INTERACTION, WITH BETTER LANDSCAPING, UPGRADED SEATING
OPTIONS, AND IMPROVED LIGHTING TO FOSTER A WARM AND INVITING ENVIRONMENT
FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
ANOTHER VARIABLE, COMMUNITY INTERACTION AND ENGAGEMENT REFER TO
THE WAYS IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS WITHIN A COMMUNITY CONNECT,
COMMUNICATE, AND WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE A SENSE OF BELONGING AND
SHARED PURPOSE. THIS DYNAMIC INCLUDES VARIOUS FORMS OF PARTICIPATION,
SUCH AS ATTENDING LOCAL EVENTS, JOINING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND
USING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO EXCHANGE IDEAS AND RESOURCES.

DEFINITION OF TERMS
BARANGAY. TYPE OF EARLY FILIPINO SETTLEMENT; THE WORD IS DERIVED FROM
BALANGAY, THE NAME FOR THE SAILBOATS THAT ORIGINALLY BROUGHT SETTLERS
OF MALAY STOCK TO THE PHILIPPINES FROM BORNEO. EACH BOAT CARRIED A LARGE
FAMILY GROUP, AND THE MASTER OF THE BOAT RETAINED POWER AS LEADER, OR
DATU, OF THE VILLAGE ESTABLISHED BY HIS FAMILY. Source: Encyclopædia Britannica,
Inc.
BUILDING PLANNING. REFERS TO THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING AND ORGANIZING
NEW STRUCTURES AND EQUIPMENT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF USERS AND CONSIDER
THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROJECTS. Source: International Encyclopedia of
Public Health (Second Edition), 2017.
CITY PLANNING. CITY PLANNING IS THE PLANNING AND DESIGN OF ALL THE NEW
BUILDINGS, ROADS, AND PARKS IN A PLACE IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM ATTRACTIVE
AND CONVENIENT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE. Source: Collins Dictionaries
COMMUNITY. COMMUNITY IS A COLLECTION OF PEOPLE WHO SHARE A COMMON
TERRITORY AND MEET THEIR BASIC PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL NEEDS THROUGH DAILY
INTERACTION WITH ONE ANOTHER. Source: Allan Johnson, Human Arrangements, Harcourt
Brace Jovanovich Publishers: Orlando, 1986, p. 692
COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE. COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE MEANS THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT THAT OFFERS ITSELF FOR COMMUNITY, USE OR STIMULATES THE
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, IN A PROFOUND SOCIAL, INCLUSIVE SENSE. Source: A
Brief Introduction to Community Architecture Concept, Mihaela Zamfir (Grigorescu)
CONSERVATION. ENCOMPASSES THE PHYSICAL DOCUMENTATION, ANALYSIS,
CONDITIONS DIAGNOSIS, TESTING, MONITORING, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTIVE
MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES AND SITES. Source: Trustees of the
University of Pennsylvania
HERITAGE. HERITAGE IS A TERM THAT REFERS TO BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES OF
HISTORICAL OR CULTURAL IMPORTANCE, WHICH ARE A VITAL PART OF THE
COUNTRY’S HERITAGE AND REQUIRE CONSERVATION. Source: Bidwells LLP
MUNICIPALITY. A CITY OR TOWN WITH ITS OWN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OR THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT ITSELF. Source: Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024
PROVINCE. A PROVINCE IS A LARGE SECTION OF A COUNTRY WHICH HAS ITS OWN
ADMINISTRATION. Source: Collins Dictionaries
STREETSCAPE. THE COLLECTIVE APPEARANCE OF ALL BUILDINGS, FOOTPATHS,
GARDENS AND LANDSCAPING ALONG A STREET. Source: Your Home, Scott Woodcock
TOWN. AN URBAN AREA WITH A FIXED BOUNDARY THAT IS SMALLER THAN A CITY.
Source: MnemonicDictionary
TOWN PLANNING. THE PLANNING AND DESIGN OF ALL THE NEW BUILDINGS, ROADS,
AND PARKS IN A PLACE IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM ATTRACTIVE AND CONVENIENT FOR
THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE. Source: Collins Dictionaries
URBAN. BELONGING TO, OR RELATING TO, A TOWN OR CITY. MOST OF THE
POPULATION IS AN URBAN POPULATION. MOST URBAN AREAS ARE CLOSE TO A PARK.
Source: Collins Dictionaries
URBAN DESIGN. URBAN DESIGN IS THE DESIGN OF TOWNS AND CITIES, STREETS AND
SPACES. IT IS THE COLLABORATIVE AND MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PROCESS OF SHAPING
THE PHYSICAL SETTING FOR LIFE – THE ART OF MAKING PLACES. Source: Urban Design
Group.

URBAN PLANNING. THE PROCESS OF GUIDING AND DIRECTING THE USE AND
DEVELOPMENT OF LAND, URBAN ENVIRONMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SERVICES
IN A CITY TO ENSURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, QUALITY OF LIFE, NATURAL
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, AND EFFICIENT OPERATION OF INFRASTRUCTURES FOR
SUSTAINABLE AND ATTRACTIVE URBAN LIVING. Source: ScienceDirect
URBAN STRUCTURE. THE BUILT-UP COMPONENTS, THE STREET SYSTEM AND THE
FACILITIES WHICH MAKE UP AN URBAN UNIT. Source: European Environment Information
and Observation Network
URBANISM. URBANISM IS THE STUDY OF HOW POPULATION OF URBAN AREAS, SUCH
AS TOWNS AND CITIES, INTERACT WITH THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. Source: IEREK Blog
URBANOLOGY. THE BRANCH OF SOCIOLOGY THAT STUDIES THE PROBLEMS OF
LIVING IN CITIES AND TOWNS. Source: Vedaist
ZONING. ZONING REFERS TO MUNICIPAL OR LOCAL LAWS OR REGULATIONS THAT
GOVERN HOW REAL PROPERTY CAN AND CANNOT BE USED IN CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC
AREAS. Source: Investopedia

WHAT MAKES A COMMUNITY?

 NOT EVERY GROUP OR TEAM QUALIFIES AS A COMMUNITY. FOR INSTANCE,
STUDENTS COLLABORATING ON A PROJECT DON'T AUTOMATICALLY FORM A
COMMUNITY. A TRUE COMMUNITY IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE MEMBERS' INTENTION
AND SENSE OF BELONGING, MAKING IT AS MUCH A MATTER OF MINDSET AS IT IS
ABOUT EXTERNAL TRAITS. CULTIVATING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY INVOLVES VARIOUS
FACTORS AND NECESSITATES THE FULFILLMENT OF SPECIFIC CONDITIONS OVER
TIME. THESE ELEMENTS CONTRIBUTE TO SOLIDIFYING THE COMMUNITY AND
REINFORCING ITS IDENTITY.
KEY ELEMENTS IN FOSTERING AND SUSTAINING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
INCLUDE HAVING A SHARED PURPOSE, INTERACTING FREQUENTLY, AND MEMBERS
SUPPORTING EACH OTHER.
 A SHARED PURPOSE, INTEREST, OR GOAL
o WHETHER IT IS SOCIALISING OR SOLVING WORLD HUNGER, PEOPLE
JOIN AND FORM COMMUNITIES THAT MATCH THEIR INTERESTS OR
GOALS. THIS IS BECAUSE COMMUNITIES CAN STRENGTHEN AND
REINFORCE THESE BELIEFS AND INTERESTS, AS WELL AS CREATING A
SAFE SPACE TO EXPLORE THEIR IDENTITY.
 FREQUENT INTERACTION
o A COMMUNITY ENGAGES IN REGULAR INTERACTIONS THROUGH
VARIOUS MEANS, FOSTERING CONNECTIONS AMONG ITS MEMBERS.
THESE INTERACTIONS CAN OCCUR IN PERSON DURING LOCAL EVENTS,
MEETINGS, OR SOCIAL GATHERINGS, AS WELL AS THROUGH DIGITAL
PLATFORMS THAT FACILITATE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION.
SUCH FREQUENT EXCHANGES PROMOTE A SENSE OF BELONGING AND
STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS, ULTIMATELY ENHANCING THE OVERALL
COHESION AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE COMMUNITY.
 A LEVEL OF SHARING OR POOLING OF RESOURCES
o A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY IS BUILT ON MUTUAL TRUST AND
SUPPORT AMONG ITS MEMBERS. COMMUNITIES THAT ASSIST ONE
ANOTHER IN ADDRESSING CHALLENGES, OFFER SUPPORT, AND SHARE
KNOWLEDGE TEND TO BE MORE RESILIENT AND ENDURE OVER TIME.