Just a few years ago, the huge informal settlement of Comuna 13 spanning some 700 hectares and home to 150,000 inhabitants was an urban crisis zone. Integral Urban Projects (IUPs) in other informal settlements of the city had demonstrated how the recovery of public space improves quality of life in disadvantaged areas.

A land use and infrastructure plan was developed and discussed with the local community, where needs were further understood through consultation. “The years of violence forced us to retreat and forget about the importance of public buildings and spaces,” explains project author Gustavo Restrepo. “Today we experience a revival of interest in sharing within society.”

The recently-constructed system of escalators with public squares and balconies addresses serious problems regarding connectivity, security and coexistence. The USD 6.7million project rises almost 400 meters – the equivalent of a 28-storey building – and will serve 12,000 inhabitants. The free outdoor escalators cut down locals’ commute time into town from 36 minutes to just six.

More than ten public buildings have been completed which provide infrastructure and important spaces for meeting and building social cohesion. One of the new buildings is a library by Colombian architect Giancarlo Mazzanti which features green areas. Other projects include community meeting rooms, music rooms, new homes and schools, a theater, business development center and auditoriums.

Riding high

The sub-project which generates the most excitement is the innovative public transport system Metrocable, which connects the settlements on the hills with the subway and the formal city in the valley below. Comuna 13’s Metrocable line, a gondola lift system implemented by the City Council of Medellín, was opened in January 2008. Gondolas for up to eight occupants transport around 40,000 people every day.

The concept was focused on the principle of creating the most valued public buildings – whether libraries, schools, concert halls, or museums – in the poorest quarters. The intent was to create public spaces in the slums and repair the social fabric of the community. “For the poorest, only the best is good enough, for example, schools with the high quality of private institutions,” says the architect.

Medellín has one of the most ambitious urban renewal plans in Latin America – a process that has taken decades to be implemented, but is yielding results and earning the city international recognition. Since the project commenced, data has shown that residential and public space per capita are now rising while homicides have dramatically decreased – and people have started to use public places again.