Oct. 10 2016, 11:03 p.m. – TO ENSURE the safety of pedestrians during floods, a Thomasian architect has proposed to build a two-kilometer overpass from Mabuhay Rotonda to Morayta Street.
Henry Herrera, a professor from the College of Architecture, raised safety concerns during flooding in the University Belt, citing a 2014 incident in which a Faculty of Medicine and Surgery student was electrocuted while wading through flooded España Boulevard.
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The proposal was based on a conceptual study to improve España Boulevard, conducted by Thomasian architects.
“This overpass can help people get to their way without putting their lives in danger,” said Herrera, an architect, during the presentation of the study at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex last Oct. 10.
Felicisimo Tejuco Jr., also an Architecture professor, said the sidewalks of España lack “walkability and pedestrianization.”
“The sidewalks of Paris, Japan and South Korea are walkable… Why can’t our sidewalks be like that? I believe we can achieve that in Espana,” he said.
Tejuco pointed to street dwellers, poor landscaping designs, ill-conceived ramps and security issues as among the problems that urban planners needed to fix.
The discussion, titled “Espana Boulevard: A Walk to Remember,” was hosted by the College of Architecture and the Research Center on Culture, Education, and Social Sciences.
