Much of the planning world increasingly focuses on regeneration, bringing nature back into existing cities, climate change adaptation, and many other topics around already existing places. But what about the cities that do not yet exist? What about all the new towns, mainly emerging in the Global South?

New cities are a widespread, global phenomenon. They are centrally planned projects, typically driven by a strong vision. Yet we see a huge gap between the vision they promote and its realisation. We regard this gap as a lack of Emotional Value embedded in the plan: the meaning that people, with their stories, give to a space.

We are testing a new, participatory methodology for critical thinking, capacity building, and development of planning principles for new city planning. The goal is to produce a Manifesto for New Regenerative Cities.

In our vision, Placemaking is the tool to come up with a Manifesto.


In September 2024, NEW ENVIRONMENT, Placemaking Davao and Place Agency curated the Do-Track at the 1st Conference for New Cities, in New Clark City, Philippines, organised by ISOCARP. There we developed an initial framework for the Manifesto, based on the four dimensions of Place: Self, Nature, Public & Private Space, Community. It is precisely at the intersections of these four dimensions that we are looking for principles for the Manifesto.


Following the experience in New Clark City, interest in the Manifesto was shown at the World Urban Forum in Cairo, Egypt, and at the EAROPH World Congress in Islamabad, Pakistan. Our work continues, developing the Manifesto with a group of planning and placemaking professionals, sharing knowledge at conferences and events, and testing it with stakeholders around the world.

︎︎︎ Join the movement!

︎︎︎ NEW ENVIRONMENTS

︎︎︎ Placemaking Davao