When the relationship between Economics and Architecture could improve the cities!

Librería España, Medellin, Colombia

Have been born and grown in Colombia gives me the perspective of one of those persons who did not came from a developed country, with good planification and advances.

I am not an architect but an active citizen who can realize the deficiencies existing in planification city issues, especially when the people in charge cares the most about their own enrichment than the city growth. The corruption and the politicians selfish interests  affects in matters of mobility, community-dwelling and life quality of people.

The decisions taken in a city with no doubts affects to every citizen but above all in their life quality and life satisfaction inside it. In here is when you wonder about what takes to have a good life quality. It comes to mind a countless factors which can vary for each person, but thinking as a community we can determine some commons. The government and the authorities involved in the city’s design should worry about this but: What happen when own interests prevail?… Everybody is affected.

All the cities have the potential to grow and improve their planning becoming a better place to live. But the first step is to think more about the principal stakeholder: the people.

The urban projects designed to the social and cultural improvement of a city are dependent of its own politics and economy.

In Colombia, Medellin city is a clear instance of how a city can improve itself despite its dark sociocultural conflicts of corruption and delinquency of the past years. This community can inspire not only the others Colombian’s city but also the others Latin American countries. Nowadays others cities of my home country are betting on change. One example is Bogotá capital city with its “Bogotá Humana” campaign (“Human Bogota” in english).

Change is a long road and it has to be paved for more than only intentions. The process in Medellin started with the arriving of a productive mayor called Sergio Fajardo. He realized that one of the best ways to enhance the city was to work on the public space. In general, it is thought the worst problem of Colombia is that people do not have a house where to live and the only solution is to build social interest properties for people in need. But actually everybody needs more than a hose to be happy. The life satisfaction comes from different resources like family, interpersonal relationships, the environment and among others. That is why is necessary to create places that encourage this other social needs: The urban space appears as great alternative to generate new experiences. The first step in the Medellin’s urbanistic projects was the creation of the “Metrocable” which help to connect the mountains (where the most population in needs live) with the valley. This system improved transport for this sector of the city helping people to access to the downtown quick. Then, the project of the “España library” which was a construction for the community and it was made by the architect Giancarlo Mazzanti.  This edification aimed to be recognized as an iconic building-landscape of the Medellin’s transformation. And it works so much so people has created a huge sense of belonging to it, becoming one of the most important touristic place of this area. Going back to Bogota’s example, the city started the change because of Antanas Mockus mayor. He realized the importance of education in the progress of a city. One of his strategies was his called “civic culture docrine”, taking pedagogic methods as an alternative tool for behavioral change. Where the conventional methods of punishment and penalties failed, Mockus used innovative public politics were the power of social sanction helped to fight agains the wrong rooted behaviors of the population. He send 500 mimes to the streets whom had the mission of point their fingers to everybody whose vial conduct was against the good transit customs. So, if anybody did something wrong like passing by a road that was not available, immediately the mime start to follow and imitate him. Most of the times it provokes a lot of fun and laughs to pedestrians and people around this insolit situation. The results of this silent army surprised even to the most exceptical people: In fer years the Bogotanos became a exemplary citizens in transit and vial behaviors issues just with this unusual idea with less cost and more results than any campaign in the past. Bogota started looking for restore spaces by the creation of hospitals, schools, parks, sport fields and police stations. Also the promotion of cultural events in public spaces to make people get back to the urban landscapes building a better relationship between the community and their space.    

Through the Antanas Mockus’ politics and changes Bogota became way better using the educations as the first pillar. Then Bogota choose another good mayor, his name is Enrique Peñaloza. He influenced in the solution of the transport issues of this city. He thought building a subway would be a chaos for the city so he proposed instead the construction of a “transmilenio” in a big scale, taking space of the car’s roads to give it to the public transportation. The objectives was to make people used more the public transportation alternatives and offer more and quick coverage to citizens making possible to people who live far way to downtown to be there in half of the time that it used to be.

Also Peñaloza implemented the “biking routes”, a space for people to run and do sports in the public streets every sunday morning. This idea was first made in Bogota but raised in France by Bertrand Delanoe. It objective is to give people an opportunity to do sports, have fun and get together around the urban space.

Nowadays Bogota is going backward. The government of Petro was paved with good intentions and ideas to improve, but it had a bad planification. It is reflected because of the fast territorial ordering plan changed without previous analysis.

The TOP, in urbanistic matters, is a technical tool of the municipalities to plan and order the territory. It has the objective to integrate the physical and socio-economic planning, as well as the respect for the nature and environment: this documents can include studies about themes like population, ethics, education, meteorology and technique phonemes as rains, droughts and landslides. It has been set as an instrument that must be part of the estate’s politics.  Understood as POT in the field of urban planning, a technical tool that municipalities have to plan and manage their territory.1 aims to integrate the physical and socio-economic planning, as well as respect for the environment: these documents may include studies on topics as population, ethnicity, education level, as well as places where tectonic phenomena like weather and rainfall, drought and landslides occur. Establishing itself as an instrument that should be part of state policy, in order to promote sustainable development, governments contributing to guide the regulation and location promotion and development of human settlements.

Thus the decisions made on issues of urban planning in the city, were stagnant. generating a setback in the development of the city.

Through the example of these cities in Colombia, can be seen as different practices and strategies in mobility and education of a city can significantly improve the quality of life of people, and the level of satisfaction you have with respect to the city. especially if you notice a change in a country that has had a major social problem of corruption and crime. But it can also generate a setback, but is done with planning, but also whether the interests of people who are in charge are only focused on personal gain or a minority.

Architecture has responsibility towards society. It is why we must work together with politics, to significantly improve the development of a city. as it is the clear example of the library Spain, who managed to change the perspective and space of a neighborhood significantly affected by poverty and crime. the spaces are transformed and likewise their activities. These few examples show how a city and a space always has the potential to excel and improve, despite having passed, nothing is lost. it should be ensured transform rather than change.

project of IaaC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed at Master of Advanced Architecture in 2015/16 by:

Student:

Lina Salamanca

Faculty:

Gonzalo Delacamara