Symbiotic Urbanism: an eco-systemic perspective on social and environmental repair for urban development initiatives in Medellín, Colombia

Abstract

Inter-relations of social and ecological systems in the city of Medellín, Colombia have been fraught with complexity as the city has faced decades of systemic violence, political unrest and deep socio-economic fissures. A perpetuation of social inequity has manifested in an expansion of informal settlements along Medellín’s urban periphery, and within ecologically sensitive zones of the city. This paper explores an emerging methodology for social and environmental repair through the lens of hydrology, positing the application of an eco-systemic perspective of landscape-led design interventions that seek to recalibrate the foundational relationship between human and nature. The objective is to formulate a systemic response through design and planning initiatives which consider the interconnected social, ecological, political, and economic characteristics of the city, while strongly embedding participatory processes in an effort to foster socially-responsive design outcomes.