The highway approaching New Clark City is wide — four lanes each way in places — but carries little traffic. Newly installed streetlamps, powered by sunlight, dot the median. Construction equipment and recently finished buildings rise ahead, where the Philippine government is building a metropolis designed to withstand the threats of a hotter, less predictable world.
Once completed in 2065, this climate-resilient city, which has already attracted nearly $2.5 billion in investment, could teem with 1.2 million people and serve as a backup capital should Manila, about 70 miles to the south, be incapacitated by disaster.
Metropolitan Manila, one of the world’s most densely populated urban area, lies on a floodplain vulnerable to rising seas and violent typhoons. New Clark City, on the other hand, sits between two mountain ranges, land chosen for its ability to withstand extreme weather. The plan includes commercial and residential neighborhoods, public transit, and ample green space. Although most official functions will remain in Manila, some gover... Read more
