A FOREST WITHIN A CITY? IS THAT POSSIBLE?

A FOREST WITHIN A CITY? IS THAT POSSIBLE?

For many years, I have been writing about the idea of a “forest within a city.” Some people said it was too ambitious. Others said it was impossible. But now, here comes England proving that it can be done—and not merely as a small experiment, but as a full-scale transformation of urban living.

Not a park. Not a few trees beside highways. Not token greening.
But an actual forest city designed for one million people.

If this isn’t a signal that the world is going green in a big, serious way, I don’t know what is.

ENGLAND’S FOREST CITY: A REALITY IN THE MAKING

A cross-party coalition in England is pushing a plan to build the country’s first “forest city” since the creation of Milton Keynes in the 1960s. The idea is championed by Shiv Malik, a journalist-turned-innovator who argues that millennials deserve affordable housing without destroying nature to get it.

The plan, already being studied by the housing department, envisions:

• 12,000 acres of newly planted native forest
  
  

• Eco-friendly wooden homes built at scale
  
  

• A city designed for walking, public transport, and children’s safety
  
  

• A community land trust to keep housing affordable
  
  

• Development corporation powers to cut red tape and reduce costs
  
  

• Wildlife corridors connecting ancient woodlands
  
  

• Streams restored, water infrastructure upgraded, and farmland repurposed
  
  

In short, it is not a “forest-themed city.”
It is a city that IS a forest.

IF THEY CAN DO IT—WHY CAN’T WE?

England is one of four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, meaning it can push projects like this even without national-level approval. This level of autonomy—and imagination—is what makes big green ideas possible.

I now ask: Which Philippine agency is capable of dreaming this big?

MMDA?
As much as I want to say yes, they are already drowning in traffic, waste, and flood problems. This kind of project needs long-term thinking, not crisis management.

DENR?
Perhaps, especially through the Forest Management Bureau (FMB). But DENR must shift from policing forests to creating them.

Local governments?
Yes—especially progressive cities like Davao, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, and Cebu. A pilot “forest town” in these areas would be a perfect start.

WHAT WOULD A PHILIPPINE FOREST CITY LOOK LIKE?

Here is where the idea becomes exciting.

We could design:

• Barangay micro-forests using native species
  
  

• Green corridors linking them, doubling as flood-control systems
  
  

• Wooden, modular homes patterned after sustainable Nordic and Japanese models
  
  

• Tram-based public transport replacing endless bus lines
  
  

• Food forests and urban agroforestry for local produce
  
  

• Native tree sanctuaries preserving our rich biodiversity
  
  

If England can dream of a forest city, why can’t Metro Manila dream of a “Forest Mega-Barangay”?
 

I CAN MOBILIZE OUR GREEN WARRIORS

If MMDA, DENR, or any LGU decides to try this—even at a pilot scale—I can mobilize my network of “green warriors” nationwide. We can supply native tree seedlings, not the invasive species commonly planted today.

A forest city must be built on Filipino forests—not foreign trees.

FOREST CITIES ARE NOT FUTURISTIC. THEY ARE NECESSARY.

Climate change is wiping out the old way of building cities. Heat islands are turning urban centers into ovens. Floods are becoming routine. Mental health is declining in gray, concrete environments.

We cannot keep building cities that destroy us.

England has taken the first bold step. Singapore, China, Italy, and even New York have shown that forest-driven urban planning is not just possible—it is sustainable.

The question is no longer: “Is a forest within a city possible?”
It is now:
“Are we brave enough to build one before nature forces us to?”

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres iseneres@yahoo.com senseneres.blogspot.com 09088877282/08-23-2026