Learning from Medellín’s remarkable transformation.

Medellín is the second-largest city in Columbia, world renowned for it’s incredibly inspiring transformation from a city riddled with crime and insecurity to one of the most promising in the continent. The city was always a big part of Columbia’s economy, becoming a major commercial centre for the region between the 19th and 20th centuries. But with all this prosperity comes major population growth, especially in the 1950s. The state government wasn’t able to keep up with the increased demand by providing planned housing solutions, giving rise to a large informal market for development. Because of a lack of regulation, drug trafficking and crime became rampant, leading to the eventual decline of the city to the point where it was considered one of the most dangerous cities on the planet (Restrepo Alvarez, 2024). In spite of this urban regression, the city transformed through positive political and social policies, where city officials sought ways to help residents of the many areas that were suffering at the time.

Image Source- Gobackpacking.com

One way the city embarked on this journey, was through transport. Medellín became the first city in Columbia to begin works on a metro system, opening the first phase of the project in 1996 which was heavily welcomed by locals. It was symbolic of the city’s willingness to change, as trips from the city’s centre to the fringes where most of the city’s working population lived were almost halved in some instances (Per tanto | Plataforma Educativa, 2023). This not only meant that working opportunities were now more accessible to the city’s poorest, but the new line also attracted new business and tourism to the city due to its increased interconnectivity and perceived ease of transport. To further bridge the gap between the city’s wealthier and poorer areas, an areal cable car system, known as the Metro cable, was created. Although the metro was revolutionary for the city, it couldn’t be expanded to reach the city’s steep hills, where residents couldn’t even rely on buses due to the steep elevation and narrow streets (Rosales, 2024). Thus, the cable system was an ingenious way to help residents make the commute from atop these hills, to the city centre which was perched in the middle of the Aburrá valley. This meant that opportunities to work and study were accessible like never before, showing the importance of having public transport that meets the needs of the city, rather than solely existing for profit. 

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In addition to transportation, Medellín’s leadership created innovative public spaces in order to help give life to areas that were historically victims to urban decay. An important example of this is the Spanish Library Park, a library park containing facilities such as an auditorium, reading rooms, administrative offices, and recreational areas for the Santo Domingo neighbourhood (ArchDaily, 2008). This library park along with 4 others were constructed in some of the most neglected areas in the city, but now they stand as beacons of hope for their local community members. The Santo Domingo neighbourhood was considered to be the most violent due to drug trafficking in the 80s and 90s, and as a result the community was unable to access the same social and economic opportunities offered to others. However, with the library park in place, community members have increased access to information, technology and educational resources, facilitating a better future for many. The park is not only a centre of knowledge, but a centre of connection, enabling community members to interact and host cultural events, providing hope in spite of its tumultuous past. 

Image Source- Archdaily.com

Lastly, another significant aspect of Medellín’s transformation is its green corridor programme implemented in 2016 aimed at reducing the effects of urban heat island and air pollution. Since the project’s start, more than 30 green corridors have been created, involving the planting of 120,000 individual plants and more than 10,000 trees, only increasing since the project’s implementation (Andrade, 2023). These green corridors act as connectors of the city’s green spaces through streets covered under tree canopy. The results of this project have been outstanding, with the local government recording a 2 degree Celsius drop in average temperature. Moreover, this new initiative has helped capture particulate matter (PM2.5) to enhance air quality, and facilitate carbon uptake through plant growth, creating a much more liveable city for both residents and native wildlife (C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Nordic Sustainability, 2019). Yet again, Medellín serves as an important example for other cities in the world, by choosing to invest in becoming more climate resilient, it prioritizes the health and wellbeing of its residents, whilst also benefiting from the increased ecotourism and employment opportunities created. 

Image Source- www.c40knowledgehub.org

In conclusion, it is clear that through thoughtful urban planning and design, Medellín has been able to improve the quality of life of its citizens. Like Aron M. Renn once said, “The mark of a great city isn’t how it treats its special places - everybody does that right - but how it treats it’s ordinary ones.” Medellín’s leadership chose to focus on changing the social framework of the city, placing emphasis on areas that were struck the hardest by violence, and improving the living conditions of many neighbourhoods. Its unique solutions should inspire urban planners across the globe, that any city is capable of change for the betterment of local life through urban policies that unite rather than divide city dwellers. Thanks, again, for reading and I hope you found this article informative!

References

Andrade, M. G. de. (2023, September 22). How Medellin is beating the heat with green corridors. Www.bbc.com. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230922-how-medellin-is-beating-the-heat-with-green-corridors

ArchDaily. (2008, June 17). España Library / Giancarlo Mazzanti. ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/2565/espana-library-giancarlo-mazzanti

C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Nordic Sustainability. (2019, October). C40 Knowledge Community. Www.c40knowledgehub.org. https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/Cities100-Medellin-s-interconnected-green-corridors?language=en_US

Pertanto | Plataforma Educativa. (2023, December 13). Medellin: Avant-garde in Urban Planning and Architecture. PERTANTO | Plataforma Educativa. https://pertanto.com/en/medellin-avant-garde-in-urban-planning-and-architecture/

Restrepo Alvarez, V. (2024, April 3). The Urban Transformation of Medellín: A Case Study. ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/1015216/the-urban-transformation-of-medellin-a-case-study

Rosales, D. (2024, February 13). 7 Urbanism and City Design Lessons from Medellín. David William Rosales. https://davidwilliamrosales.com/2024/02/13/medellin-urbanism/

Viva, A. (2009). Spain Library Park, Medellín - El Equipo Mazzanti. Arquitectura Viva. https://arquitecturaviva.com/works/biblioteca-espana-medellin