A new Parisian exhibition documents the transformation of the city of Medellin, Colombia over the past decade.
The exhibition’s creators attribute positive change to the social inclusion of diverse neighborhoods of Medellin, which many considered to be the most dangerous city in the world during the 1990s.
“To fight against insecurity and inequality, the Municipality of Medellin has developed a policy of urban planning that promotes social inclusion of the most precarious population,” said the French Development Agency, which created the project in cooperation with the Municipality of Medellin.
According to El Espectador, the exhibition is divided into three stages in Medellin’s urban development. The first focuses on four “integral urban projects” created or proposed during the administrations of ex-Mayor Sergio Fajardo (2003-2007) and Mayor Alonso Salazar (2008-2011), each of which stemmed from the social inclusion of the Santo Domingo neighborhood.
The French Development Agency commended the Metrocable, which connects to Santo Domingo and other poor neighborhoods in the city’s hills, as a “mode of transport that affects 500,000 inhabitants and now allows more districts to develop and promote the arrival of enterprises and commerce.”
“With this innovative approach, insecurity has declined dramatically and the rate of violent deaths divided by six,” the French agency said.
The second stage, “flagship project,” concentrates on the restoration of Carabobo boulevard, which runs from south to north along the Aburra Valley, through the center of Medellin.
The project included the renewal and development of many of the city’s most important political, educational and recreational landmarks along Carabobo boulevard, including the Alpujarra Administrative Center, the National Palace, the Museum of Antioquia, Parque de los Deseos, the planetarium, Parque Explora scientific learning center, and the city’s beloved Botanical Gardens. The exhibit focuses on how the 2010 South American Games fueled Carabobo’s development.
The exhibition’s third stage is a projection of Medellin’s future development, called “BIO2030.”
The urban planning exhibition will be open to the public until October 23 at the Pavillon de l’Arsenal in Paris.
“Medellin has become a city attractive to residents but also for tourists,” said the French Development Agency. “This model is now included among other Latin American cities.”