Since 2002, the urban renewal of the seaside promenade of Manila has become an unexpected magnet of activity in this 430-year old city. As one of the projects of Mayor Lito Atienza’s flagship program, Buhayin ang Maynila (Revitalize Manila), the transformation of what is now popularly called The Baywalk from a dark and neglected zone to a brightly-lit concourse has turned out to be the only remaining strip of central public space where commoners flock to enjoy the famous sunset of Manila Bay. Because the re-creation of the Baywalk was done with only cursory policy compliance, save for the political objective of producing an attractive public space, it serves rather as a test case for later developments that could spur the formulation of site-specific urban renewal guidelines. This study sought to describe and record for posterity the actual uses of the Baywalk at the height of its revival, prior to mid-year 2007 municipal elections. The results of the study revealed a mix of intended and unintended uses linked to design of the area, in the absence of an overarching planning framework that might have otherwise controlled its now vigorous albeit weakly-regulated commercial activity. Nevertheless, the Baywalk continues to be a work-in-progress, and the study concludes that its redevelopment persists despite the uncertain policy environment.