Medellín: From Violence to Role Model

Medellín, the second biggest city in the Republic of Colombia, has recently been the centre of attention for all the good reasons: it is one of the three finalist cities in a contest to become the “World’s Most Innovative City”, together with New York and Tel Aviv, which are not minor adversaries. The Urban Land Institute, the Citi financial group and the Wall Street Journal Magazine are behind the organization of this event and have chosen Medellín over cities like Chicago, Singapore, London and Sao Paulo. The final decision is for the public to make, who will have to vote online for either New York, for its culture and ability, Tel Aviv, for its technology and investigation, or Medellín, for its progress and potential.

Medellín has what many would consider a “dark past”: it used to be regarded as one of the most violent cities in the world. Today, however, Medellín hits the headlines for entirely opposite reasons, as a city which is being recognized for its respect for life.

But how did this complete renovation happen? According to Medellín’s Mayor, Aníbal Gaviria, the transformation of a society depends on the capacity of the leaders to bring together actors with a common purpose and on a permanent relationship with the private sector, businesses, NGOs, academic institutions and, most importantly, the citizens.

The Plan

The development plan, “El Plan Medellín” in Spanish, has its own webpage (http://www.elplanmedellin.com/) on which the aims, intentions, means and procedures are all clearly stated. The project’s motto is “Medellín, a home for life”, and it is based on five main aims, each with specific objectives and ways to achieve them:

1) A City that Respects, Values and Protects Life
2) Equality as a Priority of the Government and Society
3) Competitiveness for Economic Development
4) Habitat and Housing in a Sustainable Territory
5) Legality, Legitimacy and Institutionalization

In practice, the public transport system has already helped bridge the gap between the classes and promote integration. It is said that Medellín’s renovation started with the construction of the subway system in 1995. Apart from that, the city has a system of cable cars and a 384-meter-long escalator in one of the more needy neighbourhoods that connects the houses built on the steep ladder with a subway station. Medellín has also seen the creation of libraries, kindergartens and health and education centers for those citizens who are most impaired. The key, explains Gaviria, lies on accompanying the creation of the institutions with the development of a caring and respectful attitude towards the new spaces.

Today, Medellín is being taken as a model by cities like Rio de Janeiro, Caracas, Lima and Panama among many others, which is a clear example of how a city can make change happen with a strong will and a clear objective.

Sources
Fundación Zaragoza Conocimiento
El Plan Medellín
Concepto sobre el anteproyecto de plan de desarrollo de Medellín
El Colombiano
BBC Mundo