The city of Medellín has a population of almost 2.5 million citizens (2018) and has 16 districts. It is the capital of the Antioquia Department and is the second largest city in Colombia. Its metropolitan area, the Valle de Aburrá, is home to 3.9 million people, which makes it the second largest metropolitan area after Bogotá.

Avenida Jardín is an important main road and high street that connects two heritage parks in Medellín.  It is a tourist and commercial precinct that has lacked adequate public infrastructure while experiencing rapid changes, in some cases without complying with urban planning regulations.

The main objectives of the project are to improve universal accessibility, safety and mobility conditions for residents and visitors.

A step-by-step guide

• The 2016-2019 Development Plan for the Municipality of Medellín set out Integral Projects for Medellín. This was defined as the renovation of public space in selected areas of the Commune of Laureles. The Agency for the Management of Landscapes, Heritage and Public-Private Partnerships (APP) was responsible for the design and implementation of the project, which began in 2017.

• The project started by characterising the territory, identifying the state of public infrastructure, requirements and carrying out an ethnographic study involving the different stakeholders in the community, including children, young people, adults, seniors, shops owners and visitors.

• Working groups and workshops were organised with the Administrative Department of Planning and the Secretary of Mobility to create a vision for the design.

• Community workshops were organised to discuss the project and to approve the design of the area and the refurbishment of the façades along the corridor. A participatory budget was allocated to strengthen relations between the state and civil society.

• The APP Agency monitored the construction and design of the project, which allowed it to track the behaviour and activities of commercial and residential stakeholders even when construction was suspended due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

When the gradual reopening of the city commenced, the APP Agency could analyse behaviour and use of public space in terms of different logistics services related to the restaurant sector, including the loading and unloading of goods and home delivery services. This had an impact not only on the construction of the project but also on vehicle and pedestrian mobility in the area.

The project was completed in early 2021.

The lead agency for the project is the City of Medellin.

In terms of environmental resilience, this project also represented an opportunity to strengthen the continuity of the green corridor, increase green public spaces in Medellín and reduce air and noise pollution in the area. The project also preserved heritage trees in the corridor, conserving nature in the area.

In terms of economic resilience, the project aims to encourage economic activity and create a source of non-taxable income that will maintain the urban landscape. For the time being, the areas destined for economic use can only be occupied with temporary commercial elements. Because of the importance of promoting the local economy and as part of the city's economic reactivation plan, the APP Agency is developing a strategy alongside the Municipality of Medellín to allow permanent structures in these economic zones.

• The construction works were carried out by the Secretary of Physical Infrastructure and by three different contractors and extensive coordination by the APP Agency was required.

• The design of the waste management system is a major problem for the corridor. The APP Agency is planning a second phase of the project to find an optimal and sustainable solution for proper waste management.

• Parking and traffic are significant issues in the area, particularly because of the increase in deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic. To better understand demand, the APP Agency is working with the Secretary of Mobility to develop regulated parking zones.

• The continuous monitoring carried out by the APP Agency allowed the initiative to adapt to the changing circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Tactical urbanism strategies made it possible to try out the new organisation of the street and traffic before making any permanent changes. This allowed the city to successfully experiment while improving safety for pedestrians.

• By reducing the number of traffic lanes, introducing wider sidewalks and increasing leisure spaces the quality of the public space has been greatly improved and subsequently economic development has been spurred. As a model, this project could be applied in other cities.

Learn more about Avenida Jardín: www.inspiralab.info/avenidajardin