WHERE MAKATI SLOWS DOWN: DELA ROSA GARDENS AND THE CITY AS SANCTUARY

Four ways Makati is transforming its central business district into a more livable, people-first city

- By PAMELA IMPERIAL

Makati has always been shaped by both memory and momentum. Its streets carry decades of routines— careers built over time, familiar lunch spots, and neighborhoods that have quietly supported everyday life behind the glass towers. For many, Makati is not just where work happens, but where life has long unfolded.

Today, as the city enters a new phase of renewal, Makati is redefining what a central business district can be. The focus has shifted from expansion to refinement—from speed to sustainability, from density to livability. At the center of this shift is Dela Rosa Gardens, Ayala Land’s newest mixed-use development, introduced as part of Makati’s broader urban reinvention and positioned as a key node in the CBD’s evolving blueprint.

Located along Dela Rosa Street in Legazpi Village, the 1.3-hectare development rises within Makati’s historic core—an area long defined by the natural overlap of offices, residences, parks, and institutions. More than a single address, Dela Rosa Gardens reflects how Makati is steadily reshaping its business district to function better for everyday life.

Makati’s strength lies in its ability to evolve without losing its sense of place. Neighborhoods such as Legazpi and Salcedo villages remain comfortingly familiar, shaped by tree-lined streets, cafés, and longstanding institutions that have anchored daily life in the CBD.