Uploaded on 2017-02-28 by Joseph Talampas

1. Five Most Liveable Cities you know (based on experience and judgment) – Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Busan 2. Five Characteristics that Make a City Liveable (based on your own opinion) – walkability, public transport and infrastructure, density, culture, political stability and safety 3. Metro Manila does not rank highly among my most liveable cities across all five characteristics. Since only small pockets of the city are walkable and there is a lack of public transport, cars are the predominant form of transportation. Developing public infrastructure, alternative modes of transport, and walkways will help alleviate traffic congestion and pollution, improve environmental quality, and increase economic productivity. The population density across Metro Manila fluctuates between more spacious central business districts and townships owned by large private developers, and cramped areas where a significant number of poor or low-income class families reside. Much of the cities original parks and cultural icons have been demolished (in favor of private developments) or left without maintenance. The government must exercise political will and responsibility to balance private and public interest, and a unifying, inclusive vision for the city. The country's politics is also volatile, with shifts in policies from the current administration to the next. Poverty and corruption also affect crime rates in the city. As with the book "Why Nations Fail", a sound political environment with inclusive institutions will pave the way to inclusive economic growth and development.