Physical framework planning

It's one of those few terms that only few people know exactly. But it's really easy to understand or digest, really, and the more it is explained to people, the easier for us to understand how the country or its municipalities, cities, and provinces grow, or how plans evolve for future development. As the phrase implies, it is something "physical." The other term interchangeably used with it is "spatial" which is even more technical than physical so let's stick with the latter. Essentially, spatial means that which relates to space.

When a country (or a city, municipality, or province) plans itself for the future, there are three realms that are studied, analysed and, well, "planned" - physical, economic, and social. They are quite different but closely and intrinsically connected with each other, to the point that one cannot actually exist or can be formulated without referring to the other two. The economic plan we are all familiar with although in most cases, we call it the development plan. But that term, "development plan," may also refer to portions of the physical framework and social plans. The "social" plan is the demographic plan, and it refers to the population.

As a whole, the national and local development plans are mostly "economic" plans but with physical and social dimensions. But there is always a separate physical plan and that is what we are discussing here - must less known and referred to, but equally important just the same. It is commonly known for cities and municipalities as "land use plans" (now, that's more familiar, right).  These are translated into legal documents called zoning ordinances. The latter is necessary for implementation purposes.  But for provinces, we call it the provincial physical framework plans, and regional physical framework plans  for regions. There is actually a document called the National Physical Framework Plan though I doubt if many of you know it exist, or has any use for it.  But exist, it does!

The NPFP was formulated as an integrated national land use policy agenda that would guide the allocation, utilization, development and management of the country's physical resources.  It was approved in 1992 and had a planning horizon of 1993-2022.  In 1997, however, it was replaced by the National Framework for Physical Planning  2001-2030, with a vision of national development anchored on sustainable development and growth with social equity.  Again, the key word in all these plans is "physical" as against "economic" which is the more familiar document.  By and large, you may have noticed already that physical planning has a longer planning horizon (30-50 years) than the usual 5 years for economic plans.

The other key term, and obviously there are only two, is "framework," which suggests more of a generalized concept rather than a detailed blueprint for development. In fact, we can also see it as having a physical plan upon which the shorter "medium-term" economic plans are based. The "physical framework" also suggests connectivity, and that's why systems of urban settlements and transportation networks are more often than not included here rather than in the economic plans. Rightly so because the development of transport networks and other infrastructure also requires longer periods not available in medium-term plans.

To the ordinary citizen of the country, most issues discussed in physical framework plans are not as interesting - they go well beyond the future, maybe even beyond one's lifetime and crosses generations. But it's important that communities, whether countries or barangays, and their leadership, always keep physical frameworks in mind because these "shape the future."  Most importantly in cities and urban areas where economic development moves faster usually bringing congestion and affiliated problems with it. When one takes a closer look at physical frameworks plans, he can readily see that indeed, there are planning principles which have to be taken seriously especially when making decisions involving huge amount of financial resources such as moving airports or ports from one part of the country to another, or establishing railways and inter-provincial highways.

Which brings us to the need to refer back to physical framework plans when we start talking about improving our infrastructure.  You see, some things have different perspectives once you start looking at the future in terms of decades instead of merely years. And it would then be a better exercise so that you don't start building things which you have to break down and replace a few years from now. (to be continued)