The Benefits of Living in a Well-Connected City

June 18, 2018 5:37 pm

A well-connected city is a city with adequate accessibility to public transportation systems, such as the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems in the Philippines. For obvious reasons, one would not want to live in an isolated area where transportation is scarce and getting from one place to another is a pain.

While this wouldn’t normally be a problem for people with cars, there are certain benefits to living in a well-connected city, such as Altaraza, that not even the most efficient vehicle could outweigh or surpass.

A well-connected city is a greener, more energy-efficient city.

Public transportation systems generate significantly less air pollution than your car. Trains, in particular, are an energy-efficient alternative to your typical automobile, as they transport more people simultaneously and in less time. Think about how many trips it would take for you to ferry the same number of people a train does from Point A to Point B. Not very efficient, is it?

A well-connected city is a financially thriving city.

If a city is well-connected, it’s easier for people to get from one place to another. Look at Altaraza, for example; even though it’s located in Bulacan, it’s strategically positioned so that it would only take about an hour to get there from Quezon City. Commercial establishments in a well-connected area will boom, as the chances of them getting more customers will certainly increase. Furthermore, every peso that goes into funding public transportation generates both employment opportunities and profits for the economy.

Of course, “financially thriving” doesn’t just mean earning a lot – it also means that somehow, you’re able to save money, too. The Philippine Statistics Authority’s findings on household expenditures reveal that during the fourth quarter of 2017, the average Filipino household’s spendings grew by 6%, and a significant contributor to this was the allocated budget for gas. With a reliable and accessible mode of public transportation available to the general public, this would cease to be a problem.

A well-connected city is a more pleasant place to live in.

As mentioned earlier, a train has the capacity to transport more people than a private vehicle. A significant benefit to taking the train would be the decrease in number of automobiles getting stuck in traffic. Living in a well-connected city gives you plenty of options for commuting, many of which do not involve spending hours on a road inside a hot vehicle, barely moving inch by inch, amid the blaring of horns and rising of tempers.

Living in a greatly congested area can be quite stressful and unpleasant, even more so if you need to go from place to place and have no other option but to take to the road and suffer in traffic with everyone else.

Also, try to think about the sheer amount of time you spend sitting idly in traffic. What if you didn’t have to leave the house hours early just to get to your destination on time? Imagine what you could be doing during that period — you could perhaps be reading a book, or working on your creative projects, or even getting some well-deserved sleep.

A well-connected city has generally healthier citizens.

One more (rather unexpected) benefit of having well-connected public transportation is the amount of exercise we citizens normally and unknowingly engage in so that we can get from one station to another. Walking towards the station and up flights of stairs certainly contributes to your daily exercise routine (whether you have one on purpose or entirely by accident), and the best part is that you won’t even realize that it’s exercise!

Currently under construction, the Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 7 (MRT-7) is a 22.8-kilometer, 14-station rapid transit line. When launched, it will start in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan — a stone’s throw away from where Altaraza is located — and end at the Unified Grand Central Station (under construction as well) in North Avenue, Quezon City. When this plan reaches completion, it will make Altaraza even more accessible to the general public.

Overall, living in a well-connected city or community like Altaraza is pretty much one of the smartest decisions you could ever make. Talk to us, and we can discuss your plans to live in a well-connected city.