Bola Sociology Design

Design+Social Responsability: Medellín

November 3rd, 2009

A while ago, Medellín, in Colombia, was easily described as a synonym for the violence and drugs combo. Things are changing fast partly because of a revolutionary project that has brought together social participation, art, education, safety, amongst others. One of the highlights is the design project, which has just received the Curry Stone Design Prize 2009.

Taking a different approach, the city’s rennovation plans were not restricted to a couple of regions and the most beautiful architectural projects were destined to the poorest neighborhoods. Former mayor Sergio Fajardo explains: “People that say that a good looking building does not improve education don’t understand something critical. The first step to a higher quality education is a space that has quality. When the poorest children of Medellin get into the best classroom in town, this works as a powerful message of social inclusion”.

Alejandro Echeverri was the architect responsible for the urban planning.

The numbers give credit to what the pair believes: the number of deaths have dropped from 381 dead in each 100.000 inhabitants in 1991 to 28 in 2004. That is lower than cities like Rio de Janeiro, Washington, Cali, Caracas, San Salvador, and others.

To learn more about the rennovation process of Medellin, access the website Laboratorio Medellin.