Urbanist and activist Jane Jacobs once said that streets and their sidewalks, which are considered the main public spaces of a city, are its “most vital organs.”
In the case of Parqal, D.M. Wenceslao Group focused on improving the lives of Aseana City’s residents and visitors by building a development whose tenets prioritizes walkability, livability and sustainability.
“Looking through all the best examples all over the world, we knew that if we created a world-class public space and focused on how people have positive experiences in this public space, then everything else will follow,” Delfin Angelo “Buds” C. Wenceslao, chief executive officer of D.M. Wenceslao Group, told DAILY TRIBUNE.
Parqal is a five-hectare piece of land stretching from Diokno Avenue to Macapagal Boulevard that hosts several establishments and services. As Aseana City’s main pedestrian street, visitors can explore schools, groceries, hardware stores, salons, spa’s, clinics and banks with more to follow by end of year to first quarter of 2024. Notable names like The Marketplace, Cafe Mary Grace, Dylan Gourmet Café, Dunkin’, A1 Shabu Shabu, Chachago, Soy Yummy Cafe, Sarabia Optical, Nuat Thai, Open Source by BTB, Iconique, Akira Skin & Spa, Security Bank, Levi’s are already open.
While numerous residential developments thrive within Aseana City, MidPark Towers stands out as the closest and most prime residential address situated just across Parqal. MidPark towers is the second residential offering of Aseana Residential Holdings Corp., the residential arm of D.M. Wenceslao Group. MidPark Towers was launched in the market last November 2018 and is already on its last phase of pre-selling for its four towers. The development is composed of 670 units spread across four towers.
Parqal provides not only a retail spine of flagship stores and corporate offices, but a public space for the community to experience and access. Its 400-meter-long canopy —made of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, a durable and fluorine-based plastic — addresses the issue of pedestrian comfort. This strategy improves accessibility as it serves to cover the greenway and protect pedestrians from direct sunlight, strong wind gusts and heavy rains.
“If you look all over the best cities in the world, mobility and transit orientation have become key pillars of township development. For us, there is no mobility without walkability. Parqal, as the main street of Aseana City, is the centerpiece of this development philosophy,” Wenceslao said.
Parqal also has a dedicated station in the Aseana City Loop that facilitates convenient public transport to and from Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange and Mall of Asia through Aseana City. It will also be connected to an elevated walkway network which will link major thoroughfares and establishments in the estate, including the upcoming Aseana City-Redemptorist LRT Station.