The Endurance of the Modernist Planning Paradigm: The Functional City in Contemporary Planning in Medellķn, Colombia

Abstract

The Functional City principles steered the development of Latin American cities post WWII, but their influence in current urbanisation in LA has not been acknowledged or studied, due to the presumption by planners that contemporary planning operates within a very different planning paradigm to the earlier modernist one. In contrast, this paper argues that contemporary urban planning practices in Colombia are still dependent today on functionalist urbanism. Through a case study of three of the 28 approved Planes Parciales (sectorial plans) in Medellin, Colombia, based on primary data sources, I argue how the Functional City principles have been overshadowed by and formulated from a socio-economic perspective which creates discrepancies between local planners and academics regarding their application. This study contributes to a better understanding of current urbanisation patterns in Latin America. Furthermore, this study will invite reflection and public debate over questions such as: urbanization for whom/against whom and who decides?

Marginal cities in conflict: emerging geographies of spatial accumulation

“…Colombian urban economic policies address international competitiveness that is enforced and implemented by land management plans (Planes de Ordenamiento Territorial -POTs) in municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. POTs are not only founded on imported urban planning policies but also aim to manage cities as 'businesses', responding to global market pressures (Calderón, 2017). However, what happens with "liberal" urban policies in a marginalised urban settlement that is immersed in warfare?…”

“…These goals would be achieved by a combination of socioeconomic strategies and physical development with the participation of both the state and private sectors. Consequently, Colombian cities have been planned to respond to international standards without considering their culture of informality, entropy and improvisation (Calderón, 2017). This autocratic (or technocratic) way to implement uniform international urban policies represents a 'forced push' that creates new forms of urbanisation.…”