From convenience to connection: The rise of community-centered living

Home is not just where one sleeps at night. It is where daily life unfolds, where relationships are built, and where convenience and comfort shape routines. As Philippine cities continue to grow, master-planned and mixed-use developments are changing the way people live, proving that community living is more than a trend. It is becoming the cornerstone of what it means to have a home in today's world.

- By ZINNIA OLINARES

THE MEANING OF COMMUNITY LIVING

At its core, community living is designing neighborhoods that bring people together. It is not only physical homes, but also the spaces, services, connections, and interactions that surround them. A well-designed community provides places where people can walk to school, shop for their needs, meet neighbors in the park, and enjoy safe, green environments.

It transforms housing into a holistic experience of belonging, creating an ecosystem that makes daily life easier.

CONVENIENCE AND WELL-BEING

One of the strongest appeals of master-planned estates is convenience. When homes, offices, malls, and recreational areas are integrated into a single development, time spent in traffic is reduced.

In Metro Manila, where congestion costs the economy an estimated P3.5 billion daily according to a survey conducted in 2017 by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the time savings are invaluable.