Medellín Gains International Recognition for Innovation, Participation, and Sustainability
Medellín continues to strengthen its position as a benchmark for public innovation, citizen participation, and sustainability. During the Smart City LATAM Awards 2026, the capital of Antioquia received international recognition thanks to CiudadaníaLAB – Social Innovation Center, which won the Equitable and Collaborative Society category. In addition, the city’s Green Corridors strategy was selected as a finalist in the Sustainable Urban Development and Mobility category.
The Green Corridors initiative has generated more than 135,000 square meters of new green areas and the planting of over 9,000 trees.
The awards, presented during the 11th Smart City Expo LATAM Congress in Puebla, Mexico, recognize initiatives across Latin America for their ability to transform territories through innovation, sustainability, citizen participation, and the development of solutions to urban challenges.
CiudadaníaLAB is led by the Mayor’s Office of Medellín through the Citizen Participation Secretariat, with the strategic support of EPM and Ruta N. This collaboration enabled international recognition of a pioneering model of social and public innovation that connects citizens, social organizations, academia, and the private sector to co-create solutions to local challenges.
In the video, Citizen Participation Secretary Camilo Andrés Cano Montoya shares his remarks regarding this achievement.
This recognition is complemented by the nomination of the Green Corridors initiative, which was selected among the most outstanding projects in Latin America in the Sustainable Urban Development and Mobility category.
Led by the Secretariat of Physical Infrastructure, the initiative has transformed more than 20 kilometers of urban corridors through nature-based solutions, creating more than 157,000 square meters of green infrastructure. The project included the development of 30 green corridors, and an additional nine corridors have since been added, contributing more than 22,000 square meters of new green infrastructure.
“This recognition fills us with pride because it demonstrates that when a city invests in projects that improve quality of life and protect the environment, the results extend far beyond local boundaries. Green Corridors is a benchmark for sustainable urban transformation and an example of how Medellín continues to innovate toward a greener, more livable, and future-ready city,” said Jaime Andrés Naranjo Medina, Secretary of Physical Infrastructure.
In addition to planting more than 9,000 trees, the Green Corridors initiative has contributed to reducing urban temperatures, improving air quality, and strengthening Medellín’s resilience and adaptation to climate change. Its selection as a finalist further confirms the international recognition the strategy has achieved.
The nomination was jointly structured and submitted by the Secretariat of Physical Infrastructure and the Medellín and Metropolitan Area Cooperation and Investment Agency (ACI Medellín).