It is estimated that by 2050 the most populated cities in the world will be in the Global South. These cities will duplicate their population in 30 to 50 years time and most of them rarely have the ability to meet this large increases in population, and the reaction to this are informal settlements. Nowadays 1 billion people live in informal settlements and it is expected that by 2050 this number will rise to 3 billion. These urban structures present very interesting qualities but are usually located in high risk areas. Landscape architecture has a very important role to play on improving the conditions and risks in these areas. Both before these are built and after. 

​

    Medellín is a city that grew from 10.000 to 4 million inhabitants in 100 years as a result of a variety of factors. These include the industrial development in a topographicaly complex region, nearly a century of civil war and unrest in the countryside and a very strong influence of criminal organisations. The colonisation by informal settlements and the subsequent succession of planned areas has played a key role in the evolution of the city and the development of its fabric. This constant change the city experiences is key to understand how the city should evolve further. 

​

    The site of La Sierra is in a very interesting point of time in its evolution. The settlement is not completely built up, most houses are not going up yet, and public transportation arrived two years ago. Like most informal settlements, the neighborhood has a very dynamic urban structure and a very strong community. However the site conditions and location present challenges in the form of landslides risks, a very violent past and present and a community that is one of the poorest in Medellin. 

​

    I would to use the dynamic and flexible nature of this site and its current stage to address the issues of future growth of urban settlements in Medellin and propose solutions to integrate these areas better into the urban fabric and reducing risks. These solutions would also include the development of productive spaces and would improve public space in the site. The project will also be framed within a strategical framework to redefine the edge of the city. 

​

    Overall this project, together with the Reflective Practice course, should be an exploration and reflection of the role of landscape chitecture in planning and solving issues of informal settlements, reflecting on how contemporary landscape theory can be applied to these forms urban structures.