Ayala targets productivity recovery with ‘15-minute city’ estate model

AYALA LAND, INC. is scaling up its “15-minute city” framework across 53 sustainable estates to address the estimated P3-billion daily productivity loss in Metro Manila.

“Urban planners have long warned that Metro Manila loses an estimated P3 billion daily due to traffic congestion, reflecting lost work hours, delayed logistics, and reduced productivity,” the company said in a statement on Friday.

Long and unpredictable commutes are also associated with higher stress levels, lower workforce efficiency, and less time for rest and family — effects that become more pronounced during periods of economic or social strain.

Ayala Land addresses this through its “15-minute city” framework, shifting to walkable, mixed-use estates.

“The ‘15-minute city’ has gained international attention, but its core idea is straightforward: work, schools, groceries, healthcare, parks, and daily services should be reachable within a short walk or bike ride,” Ayala Land said.

“What makes the model effective is not density alone, but integration.”

In business districts like Makati and Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, offices and corporate centers are linked directly to crucial transportation hubs like the One Ayala Terminal, which serves around 1 million workers every day.

Former Ayala Land Chief Executive Officer Bernard Vincent O. Dy said the company gives utmost importance to having well-designed public transportation facilities.

“A large percentage of the daytime population of Makati are commuters. Being an inclusive city, we would like to ensure that we provide the proper transport infrastructure to serve all members of our community,” he said during the inauguration of the One Ayala Terminal in November 2022.

The development of the 200-hectare Metro Nuvali within the Nuvali estate in Laguna will also take this approach as the next central business district in the south.

Metro Nuvali will be divided into three districts; the 100-hectare (ha) Lakeside District, which will house the rebranded Ayala Malls Nuvali (formerly known as Solenad) and Seda Hotel, the 40-ha Central District, and the 60-ha Civic District, which includes the Santa Rosa City Complex.

Once completed in 2028, its accessibility will further expand with the upcoming Carmona — Biñan Link Road, targeted for completion in 2028, linking the district to South Luzon Expressway, Cavite-Laguna Expressway, and the future Cavite Tagaytay Batangas Expressway, the developer said in a statement in November 2025.

Other estates like Vertis North in Quezon City, Arca South in Taguig, and Vermosa in Cavite are also being developed as mixed-use districts where employment, commerce, and daily living are concentrated within walkable environments.

The company extended this proximity-led approach beyond established business districts, bringing everyday convenience into emerging growth areas where congestion can be avoided rather than addressed later.

Shares in Ayala Land rose by 54 centavos or 3.46% to close at P16.14. — Juliana Chloe A. Gonzales