Ayala Land expands car-free Sundays to Davao, Negros estates

AYALA Land Estates, Inc. said it has expanded its car-free Sundays initiative to Azuela Cove and North Point as part of its broader push to promote pedestrian-oriented and open-street developments.

“By opening streets to people, even temporarily, these estates create opportunities for movement, interaction, and discovery. It turns ordinary roads into vibrant shared spaces, and a simple Sunday morning into something people can look forward to each week,” the company said in a statement sent to reporters on Friday last week.

At Azuela Cove, the initiative adopts a lifestyle-oriented approach, allowing visitors to use bicycles, tandem bikes, and electric scooters to explore the estate.

Azuela Cove is a 25-hectare (ha) mixed-use estate in Lanang, Davao City. It was launched in 2019 as a joint venture between Ayala Land and the Alcantara Group.

Meanwhile, North Point adopts a more community-oriented approach that emphasizes shared spaces within a suburban setting.

North Point is a 215-ha horizontal mixed-use estate in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. It is located near Bacolod-Silay International Airport and hosts The Enclaves, Ayala Land Premier’s first residential development in the area.

The developer said the expansion builds on the sustained implementation of car-free Sundays in Cebu Business Park and Cebu Information Technology Park, where the program is entering its third year.

Car-free Sundays was first launched in Makati City, where portions of Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue, and Paseo de Roxas were temporarily closed to vehicular traffic to accommodate recreational and open-space activities.

More than 12,000 participants attended the initiative’s inaugural run in September 2023. 

The weekly program was launched in partnership with the Makati Commercial Estate Association and the Makati City local government.

“With Davao and Negros now part of the network, car-free Sundays continues to grow — not just in reach, but in meaning — shaping more communities where wellness and connection are part of everyday life,” Ayala Land said. — Juliana Chloe A. Gonzales