Cities have always been the predominant centres of political power, economic growth, educational and cultural advancement and technological innovation. However, rapid urbanization and growth of metropolitan cities, especially in developing countries, have resulted to various challenges that national and local governments and institutions fail to address completely. Against this background, small- and medium-sized cities are becoming the new growth nodes of the country. Batangas City in the Philippines is a medium-sized city located in the proximity of the Metro Manila region. This article provides an overview of the urbanization of Batangas City with special reference to its social, economic and urban characteristics along with its pressing challenges. The study highlights the current state of Batangas City with an emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health, education and urban sustainability. Finally, the article attempts to conclude on whether the city is gearing towards a learning, healthy and sustainable Batangas City.
This article, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches, illustrates that Batangas City for the period 1990–2015 was leaning towards a sprawling development. Areas where considerable sprawling has occurred were further investigated in relation to land value. The study also revealed that there is a moderate positive relationship between sprawl and land values in the city, which meant that land values have increased in areas where considerable sprawling has occurred.
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