Nestled at some 5,000 feet about sea level in one of the northernmost Andean valleys, the Aburrá, Medellín, Colombia’s second city is an unlikely candidate for fame. For a city to be known as “murder capital of the world” in living memory to be awarded the title 2013 “Innovative City of the Year” ahead of New York City and Tel Aviv and host the United Nations HABITAT’s World Urban Forum a year later challenges credulity; and yet this is what has happened. Any story as complex as the transformation from being a global symbol for despair into worldwide fame as a center of hope necessarily incorporates too many dimensions to be captured in a single article. There are many interwoven threads to such a tale. But one seemingly counterintuitive component of the Medellín vision deserves special mention. By using smart design and innovative transportation infrastructural development the city’s political, business, civic, health, educational, and community leaders have striven consistently to include the excluded in the city’s mainstream economy and society. For Medellín’s planners, no building is too beautiful to be denied the city’s least privileged resident. They built a world-class metro system explicitly as social policy rather than merely as a solution to transportation problems. They did so to bring all elements of the city together, to give everyone a stake in a shared fate. The city serves as an excellent example of how innovative urban management leads not just to worldwide fame and success but also knits together the disparate elements of a fragmented city and build a sense of community that enhances rather than diminishes security. A perfect example of Inclusion in practice.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 06:19:12 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015