Transport-Oriented Planning: A Development for Sustainable Urban Growth in Butuan City

Abstract

Rapid urbanization presents significant challenges for cities in balancing economic growth, environmental sustainability, and efficient mobility. As the regional center of the Caraga Region, Butuan City continues to experience increasing population, expanding commercial activities, and growing demand for transportation infrastructure. These trends have intensified travel demand and highlighted the need for greater integration between transportation systems and land use planning. Although the City has adopted several planning instruments, including the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), the Master Plan for Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development (MPSUID), and transport sector plans, limited research has examined how these planning documents collectively support transport-oriented planning principles. This study assessed the readiness of Butuan City to implement Transport-Oriented Planning (TOP) as a framework for sustainable urban growth. A qualitative case study approach was employed using documentary analysis of the City\'s Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Ecological Profile, Master Plan for Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development, Transportation Master Plan, Tricycle Route Plan, Pedicab Route Plan, and relevant national planning policies. The analysis focused on the integration of transportation and land use planning, accessibility, multimodal connectivity, sustainable mobility, and institutional support. The findings indicate that Butuan City possesses a strong planning foundation for transport-oriented planning through its existing transportation and land use policies. However, greater coordination among planning instruments is needed to strengthen multimodal transport integration, improve first- and last-mile connectivity, promote active transportation, and encourage compact, mixed-use urban development. The study concludes that Butuan City demonstrates moderate to high readiness for transport-oriented planning and recommends strengthening policy integration to support a more connected, resilient, and sustainable urban future.

Introduction

This study evaluates the readiness of Butuan City, Philippines, to adopt Transport-Oriented Planning (TOP) as a framework for sustainable urban development by examining how existing land use and transportation planning documents support integrated urban growth. With rapid urbanization increasing demand for housing, transportation, and public infrastructure, effective coordination between land use and mobility has become essential for creating accessible, efficient, and sustainable cities. The United Nations projects that nearly 68% of the global population will live in urban areas by 2050, highlighting the need for planning strategies that integrate transportation and land use.

The study builds upon established concepts such as Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), which promotes compact, mixed-use, and walkable communities centered around public transportation. While traditional TOD focuses primarily on rail systems, this research adopts a localized concept of Transport-Oriented Planning (TOP) that reflects Butuan City's multimodal transportation system, including buses, public utility jeepneys, tricycles, pedicabs, walking, and other emerging transport modes. TOP emphasizes coordinated planning of transportation, land use, accessibility, and urban development rather than focusing solely on transit infrastructure.

Butuan City, the regional center of the Caraga Region, has experienced rapid urban growth driven by population increase, commercial expansion, institutional development, and infrastructure investments. As the city's role in commerce, education, healthcare, and government services expands, travel demand has intensified, placing greater pressure on the transportation network. Although several planning instruments—including the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) 2019–2028, Master Plan for Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development (MPSUID), Transportation Master Plan, Tricycle Route Plan, and Pedicab Route Plan—provide guidance for urban development, transportation, and infrastructure, limited research has examined how these plans collectively support transport-oriented planning principles.

The study employs a qualitative case study design using documentary analysis as its primary research method. Official planning documents, policy frameworks, and scholarly literature serve as the main data sources. The planning framework is evaluated using six analytical dimensions: land use integration, accessibility, public transport connectivity, first- and last-mile connectivity, sustainable mobility, and institutional and policy support. These dimensions provide a comprehensive basis for assessing the city's readiness to implement transport-oriented planning.

The findings show that Butuan City has a strong policy foundation for integrating transportation and land use planning. The CLUP identifies future growth areas and development corridors, while the Transportation Master Plan recognizes the relationship between transportation infrastructure and urban development. However, these plans remain largely complementary rather than fully integrated, as they do not explicitly designate transport-oriented growth areas where higher-density, mixed-use developments are concentrated around major public transportation corridors.

Accessibility within the existing urban core is generally good because government offices, schools, hospitals, and commercial centers are centrally located. However, ongoing residential expansion toward suburban areas has increased commuting distances and dependence on motorized transport. The Pedicab Route Plan partially addresses this issue by providing neighborhood feeder services that improve first- and last-mile connectivity between residential communities and higher-capacity transport routes.

The analysis also indicates that Butuan City is gradually transitioning toward a multimodal transportation system. The Transportation Master Plan treats buses, jeepneys, tricycles, and pedicabs as complementary components of a single mobility network rather than separate services. The Tricycle Route Plan improves route organization, while the Pedicab Route Plan enhances local accessibility. Together, these initiatives strengthen network efficiency and improve mobility across different travel distances.

Despite these strengths, the study identifies several opportunities for improvement. Existing planning documents place relatively little emphasis on active transportation, such as continuous sidewalks, protected bicycle lanes, universally accessible pedestrian facilities, and complete street designs. Expanding active transportation infrastructure would improve accessibility, reduce dependence on private vehicles, promote healthier lifestyles, and contribute to more environmentally sustainable urban development.

The study further finds that Butuan City demonstrates moderate to high institutional readiness for transport-oriented planning. Existing planning instruments, combined with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Transit-Oriented Development Policy Framework, provide a strong policy basis for integrating transportation and land use. However, planning responsibilities remain distributed across multiple government offices with different priorities and planning timelines. Stronger institutional coordination and integration of transport-oriented principles into future revisions of the CLUP, Comprehensive Development Plan, and sectoral plans would improve consistency in infrastructure investment and urban growth management.

Three major planning gaps are identified. First, transportation and land use continue to be planned through separate documents, limiting the ability of transportation investments to shape urban development proactively. Second, although public transportation planning has advanced through multimodal initiatives and route rationalization, active transportation infrastructure remains insufficient. Third, continued suburban expansion increases travel demand, infrastructure costs, and reliance on road-based transportation, highlighting the need for more compact, transit-supportive urban development.

Conclusion

This study assessed the readiness of Butuan City to adopt Transport-Oriented Planning (TOP) by examining the integration of transportation and land use planning through the City\'s existing planning instruments. Using documentary analysis of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), Ecological Profile, Master Plan for Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development (MPSUID), Transportation Master Plan, Tricycle Route Plan, Pedicab Route Plan, and relevant national policies, the study evaluated the City\'s planning framework based on land use integration, accessibility, multimodal connectivity, sustainable mobility, and institutional support. The findings reveal that Butuan City has established a comprehensive planning foundation that supports the principles of transport-oriented planning. Existing policies recognize the importance of integrating transportation infrastructure with urban development, while multimodal transportation initiatives—including the preparation of the Transportation Master Plan and the rationalization of tricycle and pedicab operations—demonstrate the City\'s commitment to improving mobility and accessibility. These planning efforts position Butuan City favorably to accommodate future urban growth while promoting more efficient movement of people and goods. Despite these strengths, several challenges remain. Transportation and land use planning continue to be implemented through separate planning instruments, limiting opportunities to fully coordinate infrastructure investments with future urban development. In addition, expanding suburban development, increasing traffic demand, and limited active transportation infrastructure indicate the need for stronger policy integration and greater emphasis on walking, cycling, and complete street design. Overall, the study concludes that Butuan City demonstrates moderate to high readiness for implementing Transport-Oriented Planning. Rather than requiring entirely new planning frameworks, the City would benefit from strengthening coordination among existing plans, integrating transport-oriented planning principles into future planning updates, and prioritizing sustainable mobility initiatives. By aligning transportation investments with land use planning, Butuan City can promote a more connected, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban environment.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Ian Jason J. Hilot, Evan Grifford D. Magbanua, Omar Azim Alaya-ay Lozano, Dr. Joel S. Pardillo. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.