Rethinking Philippine urbanism through Nolan Gray’s "Arbitrary Lines"

While the CLUP is intended to be a visionary document, it is frequently reduced to its zoning component: a static, color-coded map attached to the local ordinance that attempts to freeze a city in time. This approach treats the city like a machine with fixed parts rather than a living, breathing organism. When we prioritize the rigid boundaries of a zone over the actual needs of the people, we end up with "arbitrary lines" that ignore how cities actually grow.