Photo: The Economist

Medellín, Colombia’s second city, has become a destination for mayors and urban planners across the world to study the city’s “radical urban makeover with a redistributive purpose where the best projects were reserved for the poorest, most violent areas” – also named the “Medellín miracle”.

In this article in The Economist the author discuss what were the factors that allowed for this ‘social’ urban transformation, namely the city’s source of money and “a unique political and economic culture, which some have called “Catholic corporatism”, and if this model as such can be replicable for other cities? Read the article here.

Thursday 12 June at 19.00, Kulturhuset, Habitat Norway invite you to the first seminar in the Urban Refugees series, this time about Colombia. Speakers are Dr. Jennifer Schirmer, University of Oslo, Jørn-Casper Øwre, Norwegian Refugee Council and Jose Hernandez, Space Group, the event will be introduced and moderated by Habitat Norway deputy Therese Staal Brekke.

Jose Hernandez, himself an architect from Colombia, will speak about the Medellín experience and their social housing and planning schemes.

Read more about the event here.