Delegates from Jeonju, South Korea, completed a mission in Medellín guided by the EDU, the Metropolitan Area, Metro, and Metroplús, to learn about the city’s sustainable mobility system. Their main objective was to understand how Medellín uses public transport to drive the socio-economic development of the territory.
The Korean delegation made up by experts in mobility, innovation, sustainability and construction, received information on Medellín’s best practices, background, achievements and challenges in terms of mobility.
During their visit, they took a tour around the different transport systems which allowed them to understand its integration, contributions to urban development, and how it has benefitted users.
“During the visit, I found differences in the conditions of the two cities (Jeonju – Medellín), despite that, I saw that both have the same objective: to make the city sustainable. The city of Jeonju has made great progress in several aspects, however, I felt that the transport system of Medellín is a well-structured system, more than ours. I am sure that this experience will give us good ideas when we prepare our transportation programs.” said Songbok Um, Manager of the bus policy office of the city of Jeonju
Medellín continues to progress in the implementation of a more efficient, modern, and environmentally friendly transport for everyone. In addition to the 64 electric buses which will arrive in the city in 2019, today, Medellín has the first electric taxi thanks to the union of BYD and TAX BELÉN. This is a project focused on promoting new technologies of clean mobility in the city.
This first vehicle is part of a process to gradually incorporate electric taxis to the existing fleet, making Medellín the capital of electric mobility in Colombia and Latin America.
TAX BELÉN, one of the largest taxi companies in Medellín with more than 2,300 members, will be in charge of operating public service cars; whilst BYD will provide after-sales service and will contribute with its experience as one of the world’s leading electric vehicles manufacturers.
“Medellín has become more important to BYD due to its interest in incorporating electric mobility in its streets. This historic step ratifies this goal, and we are here to support the growth and progress of the city through our technology,” said Juan Felipe Velásquez, commercial director of the BYD Antioquia’s branch.
This taxi will operate throughout the Aburrá Valley. It is bright green to help users to differentiate. When they get on it, they will live a great experience and contribute to caring for the environment.
“TAX BELÉN is committed to environmentally friendly and sustainable mobility, which is why we are committed to making electric taxis for Medellín a reality. We will make all our human, technical and financial efforts so that citizens enjoy a world-class individual public service,” said Juan David Lopera, manager of Grupo Empresarial TAX Belén.
The Taxi
Since it is 100% electric, it does not emit polluting gases. Also, it will save approximately 70% compared to other combustion vehicles and its operating costs will be 50% lower than taxis running on gasoline or natural gas. It does not emit any kind of vibration or noise thus improving the comfort for the occupants. 90 minutes of fast charge will be enough to travel up to 400 kilometers in a day. The recharge will initially be made in existing stations in the city.
On February 28, Medellín opened its fifth Metrocable for commuting. It is an environmentally friendly electrical system which already benefits more than 350,000 inhabitants of the Villa Hermosa and Buenos Aires neighborhoods, and which was financed by the Municipal Administration.
Since 1995, with the start of the commercial operation of the Medellín Metro, the city began an urban transformation process for passenger mobility whose axis is the commitment to inclusion, service and environmental protection.
The city began to improve the metro service through other solutions suitable for its topography, thus in 2004, it opens the first cable car system for commuting, connecting the furthest districts with the center of Medellín. A best practice in Latin America and the world.
The implementation of these systems has earned Medellín a worldwide recognition for its urban and social innovation. Also, has made the city more attractive to delegations interested in knowing and building cable car systems as a means of mass transportation.
The Integrated Transportation System of the Aburrá Valley, SITVA, is a comprehensive mobility solution which combines multiple modes of transport such as metro, cable cars (Metrocable), BRT (Metroplús), public bicycle system (Enclica) and the tram. Therefore, reducing costs, improving the quality of the environment and shortening travel times. All this is linked to the recent efforts of the Municipal Administration to migrate to clean and environmentally friendly technologies, such as the recent acquisition of electric buses for the Metroplús system.
Medellín is part of a select group of cities which work together to mitigate risks associated to climate change. This decision implies the execution of a wide portfolio of programs that will impact the life quality of people.
According to UN data, each decade brings with it a loss of Arctic ice above 1.07 square kilometers. The average sea level rose 19 centimeters between 1901 and 2010 and, since 1970, the amount of natural disasters has quadrupled to around 400 per year.
These numbers, more than irreversible alarms, have become a motivation and work engine for many countries looking to take urgent measures that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
San Francisco in the United States, for example, expects to reach zero waste in 2020. London in the United Kingdom has reduced the number of vehicles in the business district, and Sydney in Australia, plans for all its inhabitants to be at a 250 meter distance, a walk away, from a green park.
For its articulated and integrated work on behalf of the environment, Medellín was chosen as the vice president city of the Steering Committee of C40. Additionally, Medellín represents Latin America, along with Santiago de Chile and Quito.
Medellín has decided to follow the example of the great capitals in several actions. The first and fundamental was to incorporate the environment as a banner topic in its 2016-2019 Development Plan. This, then, becomes a government commitment, associated to indicators and specific activities.
In addition, since 2016, the city has joined the league of territories that lead the path to a healthier, more sustainable future: C40. This action connects professionals, creates relationships of trust among countries, and encourages, freely and sensibly, ideas, solutions and lessons that make the collective jobs of all member cities stronger. Today, there are more than 10,000 executed actions by 96 cities.
A Planet-Friendly City
On a wager for environmental improvement, Medellín has taken on several commitments. One is to take inventory of greenhouse gasses under the guidelines of the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission (GPC) and sign three agreements: Deadline 2020, a guide for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the declaration of streets free of fossil fuels, and lastly, to reach equal distribution among the population of environmental, social and economic benefits generated from the executed environmental actions.
Avenida Oriental, a commitmentt for sustainability and green areas to improve air quality.
Likewise, the city has proposed the consolidation of an environmental network made up of 30 Green Corridors that connect roads, ravines, hills and parks, with benefits, such as the improvement of air quality and the reduction or noise and temperature levels. The city has also proposed providing 35 eco-stations in operation in the Aburrá Valley, having more than 200 electric vehicles, operating the EnCicla system, which provides more that 65,000 daily trips on bicycles and working on a pilot program that will supply 1,500 electric cabs through concerted payment and of high social impact.
Other parallel actions are having the greenhouse gasses effect inventory that identifies which sectors emit the highest tons of CO2, developing a management plan to face climate change, signing of the Medellín Air Quality Pact with 83 companies that have committed themselves to taking actions that will aid in the reduction of polluting gas emissions, and advancing in the renovation of pubic transport, with Euro 5 technology busses.
Thanks to these actions, lead by the Secretariat of Environment, with the participation and contribution of private companies, educational institutions and other municipal secretariats, such as Mobility, Infrastructure and Planning, Medellín goes forward in environmental sustainability. The governmental foundations have been set as well as greater consciousness by citizens so that the city continue on the route of growth and sustainable expansion.
A Call to the World from the Region
During the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) and the meeting of the Steering Committee of C40 held in San Francisco, United States, in September, city mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, presented environmental advances in Medellín.
During the event, the local leader highlighted the signing of the air quality pact that engages 83 public and private partners, in addition to the C40 Network, which contains 446 commitments with goals by 2030.
For the Mayor, “taking action regarding climate change is no longer an option. We can have political and cultural differences but we share the love for our cities and our people. I know, furthermore, that we have the conviction of leaving our children a kinder world in all aspects.”
Converting trash into clean energy? This is what the project by the British company, Exergy, is betting on and proposed for Medellín. Thanks to ACI Medellín, the European company is working for the environmental preservation of the city and the planet.
Close to 3,100 tons of garbage from all over the Aburrá Valley and the 23 other communities in Antioquia come to La Pradera landfill daily. Everything that is thrown out at home ends up in this 382 hectare dump in the municipality of Don Matías in the northern region of Antioquia.
Although the service life of this landfill, which began operations in 2003, was calculated for 50 years, the accelerated overload of materials foresees a more rapid fill-up. In this context Exergy proposed a solution in tune with the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically with Responsible Production and Consumption.
How about harnessing solid residues as an energy and thermal sources, reducing part of the 90,000 tons of residues generated per month and reduction of the operations cost of the landfill by COP2,500 million?
More than COP$49,000 million, annually, could be saved in Medellín with the implementation of Waste2Energy.
This proposal was introduced in the city through an innovative technology named Waste2Energy from Exergy, in association with the Cidet – Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para el Sector Energético (Center for Technological Research and Development for the Energy Sector) and EIA University.
Exergy’s arrival was supported by ACI Medellín and Ruta N, wherefrom communication with the foreign company was articulated and coordination ensued about conditions to advance in the necessary studies for the execution of the project.
Sustainable Energy
Exergy Limited has a total of almost seven years since its foundation and experience in R+D projects centered on sustainability. In addition to the main headquarters in Coventry, United Kingdom, the company has offices in Deft, Netherlands, Minneapolis, USA, and since 2016, in Medellín, thanks to a public finance call from the Prosperity Fund Colombia 2016.
“The company, because of its experience and capability, developed a pre-feasibility project in harnessing of solid urban residues in the Aburrá Valley and the appraisal of those residues,” explains Johann Carlos Ramirez, leader of the Energy Latin-America SAS Colombia Energy Line.
A territory to be explored
In many countries in the world, there is harnessing of residues for energy generation and to avoid high financial costs, as well as air quality affectation and the damage to rivers, due to the pouring of lixiviates. For example, while Sweden, Netherlands and Germany harness up to 90% of solid waste, in Colombia, 83% of garbage ends up in sanitary landfills.
The Method
The energy method Exergy implements is a concept which combines the optimal use of resources such as energy, water and other material, minimizing CO2 emissions, as well as emissions from other pollutants. In Twin Cities in Minnesota, a pilot test was run and proved that carbon emissions are reduced by 39% and water consumption is reduced 73% with this system.
“There is clear leadership in nordic countries as Sweden, Finland, Norway and Germany, with strong incentives from the governments so that there be effective recycling for the generation of energy, production of biofuels or chemical biocomponents from urban solid waste,” declared Fernando Centeno, Innovation leader at Exergy.
More than 15% of residues that end up in La Pradera Landfill are made of recyclable material.
These figures led Exergy to propose the Waste2Energy project and the process began with a technical analysis to project the cost of investment and the optimal location of the plant. Between two choices, Bello and Barbosa, the best choice was the first for the construction of a recycling plant, incineration and harnessing of sub products connected to the EPM Waste Water Treatment Plant, from where electric and thermal energy could be generated, in addition to sub-products that could be used in the construction industry.
“Of eight possible business models, this was the most appropriate, since, in addition to the technical aspect, appraisal was made of the reduction of methane emissions to the atmosphere, as well as the mitigation of the environmental impact on water,” says Johann Ramírez.
The pre-feasibility study cost approximately COP$600 million and was covered by Exergy and presented to the government and city utility services companies.
Other Alternatives
Johann Carlos Ramírez Canedo, leader of the Power Line of Exergy Latin America SAS Colombia.
Although the implementation of Waste2Energy is being analyzed, for the second stage of the study an investment of COP$4,000 million is required. Exergy is in Ruta N looking for other possibilities in the local ecosystem to offer sustainable solutions to the region.
This is how they have visited different communities of east Antioquia and have found different local initiatives, among them in El Cármen de Viboral, where they opened a biogas plant at La Cimarrona sanitary landfill. Also, in El Santuario, they adapted a composting system with Proprietary technology.
Likewise, Exergy is investing in a blended-use building, residences and offices, stimulated by the stake of the Medellín Mayor’s Office in the urban renewal of the city center.
This building will be designed with a bioclimatic concept for the consumption of water and energy, sustainable construction, photovoltaic energy warming, motorcycle and electric bicycle charging station, and, of course, education in the treatment of residues, so as to separate from the source.
Thanks to the intervention of ACI Medellín as the link for the arrival of companies of this type and the complementary relationship with institutions, such as Ruta N, Exergy continues looking for business schemes that reduce the ecological footprint and promote planet sustainability.
“Approximately COP$860,000 millions are needed in Medellín to expand and build new landfills. Why not make better use
of these residues and financial resources to generate energy?”
The city is advancing on the implementation of an environmentally friendlier, more modern, efficient and healthier transport system for all.
In her commute from her home in Belén La Palma, in southwest Medellín, to her office in El Poblado, Daniela Chavarría uses an electric bicycle. Sebastián Callejas, prefers traveling on the Metro every day from the Acevedo station, north of the city, to the Aguacatala station. Ana María Vargas uses the Ayacucho tram and the Metro.
Although each of these residents uses different transport means, Daniela, Sebastián and Ana María have something in common: they all easily arrive at their destinations, save time and money, and do not stress on traffic congestion. They also do their share in reducing emissions of polluting gases to the atmosphere, and thus contribute so that the air in Medellín is cleaner and of better quality, because these forms of transport are zero emissions, as are the metrocables of Santo Domingo (on the northeast), San Javier (on the west) and La Sierra (mid-eastern region).
These commuters also demonstrate the city’s progress in sustainability, its consolidation as a national benchmark and its work to be the future Latin America’s capital of electric mobility.
The Ayacucho Tram.
Decision and Commitment
Some of the projects that are under implementation to guarantee efficient and environmentally-friendly public transport systems for the people of the city are as follows:
Renewal of the entire bus fleet of vehicles that operate with low emission technologies, such as Euro IV, V and VI, natural gas or electricity. A reduction of 5.4 tons of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 4.066 tons of CO2 is expected.
Thirty articulated buses and 47 standard buses of the Metroplus (BRT system), which run from the University of Medellín (southwest) to Aranjuez (northeast) and operate with natural gas. In addition, the system has a full electric-powered bus with a capacity for 160 passengers and a battery that allows 280 kilometers autonomy.
Development of a project, between the Secretary of Mobility and EPM, so that taxi companies can trade out vehicles that run on fossil fuels for electric ones. In the next three years there will be 1,500 electric cabs.
Twenty-five eco-stations or public ECS for electric cars distributed along different parts of the city and in the municipalities of Envigado, Sabaneta and Rionegro.
Construction of 80 kilometers of bike paths, encouraging the use of bicycles.
Key Actors
In order for Daniela and all citizens to enjoy clean transport alternatives, different agencies work jointly, including the Metropolitan Area, the Metro, the Olaya Herrera Airport and the Secretariats of Mobility, Environment and Infrastructure.
Especially, the Metropolitan Area leads two projects for air pollution reduction in the Aburrá Valley. These are the Pigeca (Comprehensive Air Pollution Management Plan, for its acronym in Spanish) and the Poeca (Operational Plan to Confront Critical Episodes of Atmospheric Pollution). Among its activities are the measurement of meteorological variables through 21 stations; control of automotive diagnostic centers and monitoring fixed sources. The plans will also promote an integrated low-emission transport system.
In addition to this, the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area -ACI Medellín- has played an important role in this transformation. According to Humberto Iglesias Gómez, Secretary of Mobility of Medellín, “it has allowed us to share spaces with other cities and countries that have advanced a lot in this area. We have gone to Germany, Sweden, France and South Korea where we learned about their experiences and they showed us opportunities for improvement.”
In fact, between Medellín and Paris there is an alliance to work together and exchange good practices. “They have taught us to improve, to know what we must do to prevent environmental deterioration and that people, regardless of their socioeconomic status, get out of their car and prefer public transport means,” says Iglesias.
The Secretary of Mobility of Medellín, Humberto Iglesias Gómez.
These achievements are proof that Medellín is living a revolution to achieve a more modern, efficient, accessible, integrated and intelligent transportation system that contributes for the care of the Earth.
A Historical Investment
The Ministry of Territory and Infrastructure of South Korea will donate 12.5 million dollars to Medellín. This support will help the continuation of sustainable mobility development with clean energy; improvement of a traffic information control center and traffic light phases. The project will also include the implementation of regulated public parking lots and intelligent stops, in which users will know the bus routes, frequencies and estimated times of arrival at their destinations.
Electrical bus which reduces polluting particles and contributes to sustainable mobility.
EPM makes affordable and non-polluting energy available to the community through the La Alpujarra Thermal District, a pioneering project in Latin America to take care of the planet.
“The first thermal district of Latin America is in Medellín,” “Medellín enters the wave of green facades” and “Pilot projects that fight global warming.” This is how the national media informed the world of the start-up of the first thermal district that was built in Medellín, a project providing, since 2016, air conditioning on demand to the buildings of the Medellín Mayor’s Office, the City Council, the Departmental Assembly, the Metropolitan Area and the Colombian Tax and Customs Authority.
“The district was designed to meet two objectives: to efficiently use air conditioning service and to eliminate polluting elements,” says Carlos Arturo Díaz Romero, Natural Gas Vice President of EPM.
The process produces cold water. It is transported to buildings and finally distributes air conditioning for the offices, with an efficient water circulation, without waste, from natural gas and electricity, as primary sources to produce thermal energy.
This achievement was made possible thanks to the EPM Group, with the support of the Economic Affairs Secretariat of Switzerland -Seco-, the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Presidential Cooperation Agency of Colombia -ACP- and under the coordination of ACI Medellín.
The La Alpujarra Thermal District has a capacity of 3,600 tons of refrigeration. Today, with customers who use air conditioning on demand, it is using 80% of its capacity.
A Success with a Local Seal
The use of thermal districts in the world is quite common, especially for the generation of heat during cold seasons. Switzerland, the United States, China, Denmark and many other nations have adopted this energy efficiency technology to slow down the growth of the carbon footprint.
In Medellín, a meeting of wills made it possible for this thermal district to become reality, with a particular fact: while these districts are commonly used for hotels, hospitals and private buildings in the rest of the world, here, the government sector was the first encouraged to implement this solution. “The customers believed, they bet on it, wanted to do things, waited patiently and now enjoy the results,” says Carlos Arturo Díaz.
From the beginning, there has been interest in replicating the system in other cities of the country, such as Bogotá, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena and Bucaramanga. If we consider that 75% of the population in Colombia lives in cities and that almost 70% of these are located below 1,500 meters above sea level, there is much potential for the use of cold, says the EPM vice president of Gas.
In addition to the service, this infrastructure has been designed for the purpose of fulfilling educational and didactic functions so that, in the future, other companies will implement it so that their projects do not start from scratch, but with the knowledge acquired from this first experience.
USD 6 millones en aportes de la Secretaría de Asuntos Económicos de Suiza.
An Environmental Oasis
A differentiating element in this successful case is the urban intervention. Located in a complex area of the city, with high traffic, surrounded by mechanics’ workshops and other businesses, it was a challenge to build an environmentally friendly construction, sustainable and connected to the integral renovation plan of the city center.
Thus, the work was not only of a technological nature, but also on the landscape. This is one of the aspects that amazes foreign visitors, since thermal districts are usually armored or hidden constructions. However, this one in Medellín is visible and stands out like a breath of oxygen in the middle of a highly mobile area.
Its construction is anti-noise, does not require any maintenance by customers and increases the usable space of the building, because it eliminates the need for installation of a chiller or water cooler.
The search to multiply this class of projects, even with other applications, continues. An example of this is under study in Urabá in order to take advantage of residual elements and organic waste to generate energy, in this case cold, for food preservation.
By implementing the district, the project contributes to the commitments of Colombia as part of the Montreal Protocol, to the goals of the Colombian Low Carbon Development Strategy and the Program for the Rational and Efficient Use of Energy. In addition, a seed is sown from a regional scope for the Earth’s preservation.
100% ozone depleting substances eliminated. Between 25% and 30% savings in energy consumption.
2004
Evaluation of technological developments to solve energy distribution of air conditioning. The distribution of frozen water from EPM to Plaza Mayor was implemented.
2012
EPM and the Ozone Technical Unit – UTO, in Spanish – of the Ministry for the Environment joined forces to replace equipment that works with ozone-depleting refrigerant substances, greenhouse gases and inefficient energy use, in buildings in the La Alpujarra sector.
2013
Alliance to develop the La Alpujarra Thermal District and promote policies and actions
in the country that allow replicating this type of projects.
2016
La Alpujarra Thermal District.
starts operations.
“An innovative experience” Jorge Londoño De La Cuesta
Jorge Londoño De la Cuesta, EPM General Manager.
Why is the EPM Thermal District a strategic project for the city and for the company? This initiative is part of the growth and search for new products and services portfolio of EPM, which leverages the strategy to favor competitive and sustainable territories based on energy efficiency processes, reduction of operating costs, customer loyalty and reduction of emissions that pollute the environment. This type of initiative drives the development of projects aimed at positioning Medellín as an innovative city.
How do you contribute toward the compliance of the SDGs? The Thermal District of EPM, when generating thermal energy using natural gas as fuel in a high efficiency afterburner system, is friendly to the environment. In addition, it is important to note that, with the implementation of the District in the La Alpujarra sector, 30% of greenhouse gases and 100% of emissions of substances that exhaust the ozone layer are reduced.
What has been the influence of the ACI Medellín in this type of initiatives, as a link between companies and local government institutions and foreign investors? These types of links are important and necessary because they provide security to investors when they see that, through these agencies, resources are directed for the execution of strategic projects for the community that reflect governability in the regions. Through institutions such as the ACI Medellín, it is possible to generate pedagogical scenarios to promote that external agents evidence environmental culture and innovation.
Medellín is a fascinating city. Precisely, what makes our present so valuable is our past. After living through terrible episodes of fear and violence in the 80s and 90s, our society learned how to rebuild itself and is a reference of transformation in the world today.
During this path, we have learned the importance of aligning ourselves with the global agenda and of planning our advances in the mid and long terms. This is why we have thought of ourselves in terms of the challenges all the world’s cities face, en route to what 193 world leaders defined in 2015: the fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs – which aim for the elimination of extreme poverty, of inequality and injustice and answer to a global sustainability agenda.
As part of the strive for a more equitable and inclusive city, in social and territorial terms, from the beginning of our Government, we decided to incorporate 70% of the SDGs to the 2016-2019 Development Plan: Medellín Cuenta con vos. Not all objectives are included, since some are not applicable, as for instance, the protection of oceans.
Medellín met the universal call of the United Nations Program to put an end to poverty, protect the planet and guarantee that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Our Development Plan makes up the city’s route map and contains a work agenda focussed on persons, prosperity, peace, the planet and its partnerships, the five thematic focuses defined by the UN that answer to the three dimensions which make up sustainability: social, economic and environmental.
70% of the Sustainable Development Goal indicators are incorporated to the 2016-2019 Development Plan.
The focus on people covers five of the SDGs: an end to poverty, zero hunger, health and welfare, quality of education and gender equality. We have made significant advances in this sense. For example, Education is the Development Plan line with the highest allotted budget. This is due to our conviction and need that children achieve their dreams within the framework of legality, that children become “experts” but in the realm of medicine, science and art, that they are educated personally and professionally and contribute to the economic and social development of the city.
Among the main advances are the increase in coverage of the Buen Comienzo (Good Start) Program, which went from 69.2% in 2015 to 78.7% in 2017, and the decrease in illiteracy rates and school desertion. In addition, there is an evident improvement in the quality of education in schools, an increase in scholarships for undergraduate education and 300 scholarships for masters programs for our teachers between 2017 and 2019. Moreover, UNESCO recognized Medellín as a Learning City, integrating it to a group of a mere 14 Latin American cities that stand out for their efforts in achieving quality education along the life of their inhabitants.
The goal is for Medellín to reach, in 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals that were globally defined, for which a city agenda has been made hand-in-hand with the private sector and academia.
In this focus of Prosperity, associated to economic development and to which other SDGs are linked: accessible and non-polluting energy, decent employment and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduction of inequality and sustainable cities and communities, the city has a public policy for economic development that is supported by knowledge as a starting point for productivity, generation of employment and improvement in competitiveness. Proof of this is that the city currently invests 2.14% of its Gross Domestic Product in activities of science, technology and innovation. Our goal was to reach 3% in 2021 but we will surely meet that goal prior to that.
With regards to the focus of Peace, the world is witness to our efforts to overcome the past to building a just society that is inclusive and violence-free. This is why we have begun an ethical fight against illegality and criminal activities, which has been showing results. Notwithstanding, we are convinced that social investment is key and that transformation is achieved from within people and families, which is why we have been giving, hand-in-hand with my wife, Margarita, workshops in positive discipline and rearing in the most vulnerable zones in the city.
Medellín has a work plan focused on people, prosperity, peace, the planet and alliances. Photo, visitor to the Book Festival at the Joaquín Antonio Uribe Botanical Garden.
This sustainability agenda is an opportunity to articulate efforts among public and private institutions and civil society, thus improving the quality of life of people.
In the Planet thematic focus, sustainable mobility projects are our priority because they will enable us to improve the quality of the air we breath. We have advanced in renovation of vehicles, entry of electric cabs and the first articulated bus working with electric energy. We have increased the number of eco-stations, invested more than COP$76,000 million in the adaptation of bike routes, COP$298,000 million in the Picacho Metrocable and COP$45,000 million in the 30 green corridors in the city.
In the Partnership focus, we are clear in the knowledge that these are key for the development of the city and must be centered on the needs of the most vulnerable population. On 2016 and 2017, Foreign Direct Investment totalled USD 583 million and resources for cooperation amounted to USD 12.8 million. Ten South-South cooperation partnerships have been established and 52 projects have benefitted from the agreements for international cooperation.
We know these achievements are significant but are also aware that this is a long term process which began in previous years and to which we have given continuity. However, there is still much work to do. Notwithstanding, we are satisfied, because each invested resource corresponds to the Development Plan and the route map that was created with responsibility and stemming from the diagnosis of a city which began a transformation process, but that must keep working so that these achievements render the well-being of the population.
Of the 231 indicators within the Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs – and the 200 outcome indicators that are part of the Medellín Cuenta con vos (Medellín Counts on You) 2016-2019” Development Plan, there are two indicators that are fundamental for the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area. These two are the contribution from our task, two challenges that significantly affect the economic and social development of the city and impact the achievement of results of the 2030 Agenda: “amount of national and foreign investment reported for development and competitiveness” and “amount of national and international technical and financial cooperation received.”
Although these two indicators are directly associated with SDG 17, “Partnerships for the goals,” their impact is also reflected on five more objectives: 4. Quality education; 8. Decent work and economic growth; 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure; 10. Reduction of inequalities, and 11. Sustainable cities and communities.
Our goals in nationally and internationally managed cooperation and in attracting foreign investment, as well as the actions we take going forward in the search for the internationalization of the City-Region, reflect our commitment to the contribution toward the improvement of the quality of life of the community, regarding the economic and social development of Medellin and the region. We are achieving this through the articulation of national and international actors with whom cooperation and investment partnerships are consolidated.
Directly, the actions carried out by the Agency in meeting these challenges seek the social development of the territory with equity, inclusion and sustainability.
Our task is putting Medellín on the global scene in a positive way, highlighting its advantages and competencies, generating trust and working together with international organizations, promoting local and global relationships. The Agency also showcases the city in different scenarios to promote and stimulate investment. This initiative leads to materializing of results such as the exchange of experiences and knowledge, capturing technical and financial support, generation of quality employment, qualification of human talent, development and strengthening of physical and technological infrastructures, economic growth and improvement of the quality of life of the inhabitants.
At ACI Medellín, we understand the dimensions of this global commitment and the significant impact we have on achieving this collective goal that erases the borders between countries and shows us how to walk hand in hand. For this reason, we have assumed the challenge with total responsibility, a sense of belonging and, above all, with a deep love and respect for our city, the region and the country.
Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, Mayor of Medellín, accompanied by Manuel Olivera, regional director for Latin America of C40 presented the planning framework to develop the Climate Action Plan of Medellín to the members of the Metropolitan Environmental Council – CAM. This plan will guide the adaptation and mitigation actions against climate change in the city – region until 2020.
C40 Cities is an international network which connects 100 cities around the world. They combine efforts to take actions for climate and lead the way for a healthier and more sustainable future.
Medellín was included in a prioritized list of cities to receive technical assistance by C40 for its progress in initiatives related to the protection of the environment such as electric mobility, the air quality pact and green corridors. A Climate Action Plan compatible with the Paris Agreement is expected by the middle of the second semester of 2019.
The capital of Antioquia joined the C40 in 2016. Since then, the Environment Secretariat of the Medellín Mayor’s Office and the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area coordinate the city’s participation in the Network.
“I am convinced that taking action against climate change is no longer an option, it is imperative. Therefore, Medellín has made great progress in this purpose. The Pact for Air Quality, our electric mobility strategy, the creation of green spaces, among others, are some of the projects that demonstrate our commitment and that of our citizens to the city’s environment. Let’s continue working together for our cities, proposing great actions aiming to meet the Paris Agreement,” said the Mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.
Since May this year, Mayor Federico Gutiérrez represents Medellín and is vice president of this international network. Also, together with the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile, the city represents the Latin America chapter.
Although Medellín has opened other public calls which have earned it worldwide recognition for its social and urban progress, this architectural design contest symbolizes not only transformation but the beginning of a space for memory, reflection, and reconciliation.
On October 23, 2018, the Medellín Mayor’s Office and its Urban Development Company – EDU advised by the Colombian Society of Architects, started the first stage of the architecture competition for the design of the new public space for memory and reflection. It will replace one of the icons associated with drug trafficking and the violence suffered by Medellín in the 80s and 90s: the Monaco building, which will be demolished at the beginning of 2019.
As part of the award, a consultancy contract, and three prizes will be paid for a total of COP $351,480,000. The participation guidelines can be consulted online on SECOP I.
The private secretary of the Mayor of Medellín, Manuel Villa said: “What we want is to overthrow, demolish or dismantle it to build a new symbol whichhonor the victims. We do not mean to erase the scars. On the contrary, we intend to heal andcreate other referents of legality and ethics to effectively fight for that transformation of society.”
Among the selection criteria, the participants must consider four components: urban, architectural, environmental and social. In addition, the compilation of 25 categories in which citizens of Medellín expressed their will and wishes -922 proposals in total- about this new scenario of resilience and resignification.
Through this contest, the municipal administration seeks to ensure transparency, a broad participation of architects, and to encourage the contribution of young talents, quality design, and citizen intervention around issues of memory as promoted by the initiative of “Culture of legality.”
There is no doubt that the reflections, analyses and learnings left by the Medellín Lab 2018 will be of great use for the growth of the participating cities in this second edition of the laboratory of living experiences of Medellín. This second edition of the Medellín Lab included tours around the city projects, joint creation workshops and presentations of positive city proposals.
29 participants from Chongqing (China), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Dakar (Senegal), Ho Chi Min (Vietnam), Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa), Cape Town (South Africa) and Jakarta (Indonesia) visited important urban interventions in the social and cultural transformation of Medellín.
The attendees from the government sector of Asia and Africa, accompanied by ACI Medellín and the World Bank, had the opportunity to visit projects and programs such as: the green corridors of El Poblado Avenue and the Oriental avenue, the EnCicla project, the Ciudad del Río sector, the Metro, the tram, the Metrocable (cable cars), the renovation proposal of the Medellín Center, the Comprehensive Urban Projects (PUI), the Commune 13, among others.
They also learned about Medellín’s mobility, transport, infrastructure, urban planning and risk management models.
During the Medellín Lab 2018, Mayor Federico Gutiérrez talked to the visitors and highlighted the achievements of the transformation of the city as a scenario for the exchange of knowledge.
“When people talk about Medellín today, the present acquires value due to the difficulties we had experienced in the past. That is one of the greatest characteristics of Medellín: How did one of the most violent cities in the world, which in 1991 had a homicide rate of 381 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, to get be considered one of the most innovative cities in the world in just 27 years?” said the mayor.
According to the participants of the event, some of the most valuable learning is related to the sense of the articulated work between the business sector, the universities, the community and State for the construction of long-term public policies. Also, the evident work in social inclusion with one integrated ticket for transport and mobility systems and the accountability and efficiency of resources to increase the citizen trust.
The Metro Culture, the Public-Private Articulation, the sense of belonging and the continuity among policies were the learnings highlighted by the attendees of the Medellín Lab 2018.
The attendees were surprised with the importance of promoting a sense of belonging for the care of the public infrastructure like the Metro Culture does. At the same time, they highlighted the continuity in the public agenda, despite the changes of government, for the development of the territory.
The participating cities are expected to replicate some initiatives and best practices of Medellín in the short, medium and long term. Besides, the organization of the event will apply the recommendations offered by the attendees to improve future versions.
“The Medellín Lab was a very enriching experience with other cities of the world on learning and exploring what can be done in our territories to achieve progress. It is not just what the city shows, but also what it can learn and exchange in that process of achieving better living conditions for the citizens of the world. That is the purpose of this City Laboratory” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director ACI Medellín
With this second edition, the Medellín Lab becomes one of the most important laboratories of living experiences in the country and ratifies its valuable contribution to the construction of the territory based on an innovative dynamic through the knowledge and experiences of all cities of the world.
Between October 28 and November 2, Medellín will be the stage for the largest city laboratory of living experiences, Medellín Lab 2018. It seeks to generate a dynamic exchange of experiences and learnings on successful solutions to problems shared among cities around the world through an innovative and participative methodology based on academic sessions, workshops, and field visits.
Medellín Lab 2018: a great laboratory of living city experiences
What is the Medellín Lab?
It is an event organized by ACI Medellín and supported by the World Bank which brings together representatives of the government sector from various cities of the world (Asia, Africa, and Latin America) to exchange knowledge and learning initiatives and successful solutions to city problems.
The meeting is based on an innovative methodology which displays the city as a “living laboratory of experiences” that make up an innovative model of public management and governance. The methodology includes academic sessions, co-creation exercises and visits to city spaces that provide it with value and learnings.
The Medellín Lab will facilitate other cities to meet and understand the solutions that Medellín has found to its problems; identify meeting points for their replicability, and transfer experiences to find common answers to the challenges they face as cities through multi-actor and multi-level cooperation actions.
This Year’s Main Subject
Its main objective will be to help the participating cities to develop or adapt the following to their development plans:
Integrated planning measures for the re-development of neighborhoods at risk.
Transportation systems to support socio-economic inclusion and the prevention of violence.
Business models and associated institutional structures that allow sustainable funding of the urban infrastructure improvement.
Participating Cities
The second edition of the Medellín Lab will be attended by representatives of the government sector of cities which are undergoing an accelerated urban and demographic explosion. This makes them face challenges like those experienced by Medellín in relation to urban, economic, social and economic development. of coexistence.
Mr. Ludo Campbell-Reid, general manager of the Design Office of Auckland -economic capital of New Zealand- will visit Medellín. In 2016, Auckland, Vienna, Sidney, Medellin and Toronto were the nominees to receive the Lee Kuan Yew Award, which was awarded to the capital of Antioquia.
The Lee Kuan Yew is awarded every two years by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore and it highlights sustainable initiatives associated to urban planning and management with concrete environmental, social or economic results. In 2014, it was Suzhou (China) the awarded city and in March 2018, the winner was Seoul (South Korea) and it will be granted next year in Medellín during the World Cities Summit.
The Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, invited Campbell-Reid to exchange knowledge and recognize the best practices in planning both cities have. He is a specialist in urban design and sustainable mobility; and will expose his concepts on alternative means of transport such as bicycles and electric vehicles.
The delegate from New Zealand is a keynote speaker in WALK21 BOGOTA WALKABLE CITY, which takes place this week in the capital of Colombia and seeks to analyze progress and global alternatives in mobility issues associated with tactical urbanism, accessibility, intermodality and public transport.
In July 2019, Medellín will host the World Cities Summit -the first time it is held in Latin America- as part of the commitments acquired after winning the 2016 Lee Kuan Yew Award.
Medellín – ACI Medellín and the World Bank will develop the second version of the Medellín Lab, a two-way knowledge exchange methodology.
Between October 27 and November 2, 10 cities from Africa and Asia will visit Medellín to participate in the Medellín Lab. They will address issues such as urban regeneration, municipal funding mechanisms and sustainable mobility.
Experiences such as Integrated Urban Projects and Comprehensive Improvement of Neighborhoods, the Metro’s comprehensive actions and the funding mechanisms of the municipality of Medellín will be some of the successful experiences to be presented at the event. These experiences will be addressed from Medellín’s DNA, which was conceived by the base work group as the sum of: resilience, articulation, continuity, sense of belonging, working with the community, tradition of planning, public management, dignity and aesthetics.
By the end of the event, the organization expects Medellín to become a reference for concrete knowledge exchanges between cities and to share experiences that improve their contexts.
The World Bank and ACI Medellín have worked together in the event, guaranteeing a comprehensive vision of the public, private and academic aspects as key elements for the success and materialization of many realities in Medellín.
“There are many cities in the world that would like to learn from Medellín’s experience. This year we are workingtogether with ACI Medellín in the secondMedellín Lab. This time, Asian and African cities will participate on the event. It will be an excellent opportunity for the city to present these international delegations with its experiences in urban planning, mobility and funding instruments.” said Philip Karp, Lead Knowledge Management Officer in the World Bank.
“The Medellín Lab is one of the most notable events for ACI Medellín and thus for the city. It is a unique experience in Colombia, in which Medellín becomes a living laboratory for the knowledge and learnings exchange. This time, the presence of representatives from Africa and Asia will greatly enrich this experience. Itundoubtedly consolidates the city as a benchmark for urban planning and transformation,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.
Context
Medellín Lab is a knowledge and learning exchange methodology aimed to cooperation towards development designed by Medellín through its Agency for Cooperation and Investment – ACI Medellín.
Under this methodology, the city is understood as a “living laboratory of experiences” which make up an innovative model of public management and governance. Also, multi-actor and multi-level cooperation actions are carried out through visits, academic sessions and co-creation exercises, allowing other cities to study the solutions Medellín has found to its problems, identify meeting points for its replicability and find common answers to the challenges we face as cities.
Chongqing (China), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Mumbai (India), Jakarta (Indonesia), Nairobi (Kenya), Kigali (Rwanda), Johannesburg, Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa), Dar es-Salaam, (Tanzania), Dakar (Senegal), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam); will be the cities participating in the second version of the event from October 27 to November 2, 2018.
The mayor, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, presented the initiatives of Medellín related to the protection of the environment at the Global Summit on Climate Action (GCAS) and the C40 Steering Committee. Among these initiatives, the Mayor highlighted the Pact for Air Quality, which brings together 83 public and private stakeholders, including the C40 Network, around 446 commitments with goals set to 2030.
The local leader explained that the project is currently working on a pilot with 1,500 electric taxis which, in addition to contributing to improve air quality, are paid through a concerted plan with the taxi drivers, so it is also a social project.
Today Medellin has 20 eco stations and the Metro of Medellín continues its expansion plan with electric mobility projects such as Metrocable Picacho. The actions aim to mitigate and adapt to climate change, in the search to reduce or avoid Greenhouse Gases emissions.
The Pact for Air Quality was signed in Medellín in February this year, which links 83 public and private actors, including the C40 Network. In addition, the Mayor talked about the 20 eco stations located around the city and the expansion plan of the Metro with electric mobility projects such as the Metrocable Picacho.
There is an air decontamination plan for the city and its metropolitan area with goals set by 2030 – PIGECA. It seeks to reduce PM2.5 up to 23 in the year 2030 (it is currently at 33). Medellín went from 8 to 21 air quality monitoring devices in the metropolitan area that correspond to 50% of the stations in the country.
“Taking action against climate change is no longer an option. there might be political and cultural differences – but I know we share the love for our cities and for our people. I also know that we are committed to give our children a friendlier world in every way,” said the Mayor.
Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga thanked the recognition given to Medellín by appointing him as Vice President of the C40 Steering Committee and one of the representatives for Latin America, along with the Mayor of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile, Karla Rubilar. He also thanked Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris and President of the Steering Committee of C40 and Michael Bloomberg, founder of C40, for his determined and constant work for the development of cities facing climate change and the creation of sustainable and innovative spaces.
Medellín also accepted and joined the Letter of Commitment to ‘Deadline 2020,’ in November 2017. This project aims to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement. “As a member of this committee, and in the framework of the Paris Agreement, we committed ourselves to become a neutral city in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and resilient to the climate by 2050,” said Gutierrez.
Regarding the adaptation to climate change, the Municipal Administration has projects such as the 30 green corridors, the green walls and the Payment for Environmental Services.
The Global Climate Action Summit C40), aims to raise awareness around a reality affecting all countries of the world regarding the emission of polluting gases, the management of waste, the protection of water and the promotion of a life in harmony with the environment.
Cities are key to fight damages caused by climate change. In this sense, C40 is a group made up by 96 cities (12 Latin American) representing 700 million people, working towards the creation of a knowledge and public policies platform which allow the implementation of the historic Paris agreement.
The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga is a member of the C40 Steering Committee and representative of the Latin America chapter together with the Intendant of Santiago de Chile, Karla Rubilar. Medellín stands out as a city determined to fight climate change through strategic actions for sustainable mobility.
Medellín, in addition to actively participate in the general activities of C40, is part of the Deadline 2020 Declaration and the subnets of: 1) mobility, pedestrians and bicycles; 2) territorial planning; 3) air quality; 4) climate change and; 5) solid waste management. Also, in February 2018, the city joined the Declaration of Green and Healthy Streets, free of fossil fuels.
This year, as a member of the C40 Steering Committee, Medellín has three fundamental objectives:
To look over the challenges for Latin America.
To create an academic space about C40 at the World Cities Summit 2019 to be held in Medellín from July 10 to 12.
To commit with two C40 statements:
Carbon-free buildings: committing to be a neutral city in the greenhouse gases emission by 2050.
Equity commitment: To distribute the environmental, social and economic benefits derived from the C40 plans implemented in Medellin throughout the population.
Which actions has Medellín developed supported by C40?
The following stand out:
To make an inventory of the greenhouse gases under the global protocol for community-scale Greenhouse gas emission inventories, fulfilling this commitment for the C40 cities.
To support and enrollment of the C40 Network into the “Pact for air quality of Medellín.”
To strengthen the electric mobility strategy.
The key role of the Mayor of Medellín in C40
On September 12 at the Steering Committee meeting in the San Francisco City Hall, the Mayor will have the opportunity to show the progress made by Medellín in terms of environmental protection and, also, will support the C40 expansion strategy to reach more cities in the world.
During the press conference on September 13, the Mayor will briefly present the initiatives of Medellin related to the environmental protection. Later, in the same day at 1:30 pm, he will join the presentation Green and Healthy Streets: a transition to zero-emissions transport , there, he will be part of the panel New signatory cities of the Green and Healthy Streets Declaration in which he will speak together with the mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb and the mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, about the pollution-free public transport systems and the actions taken by the current administration in sustainable mobility as the integrated transport system, human mobility (bicycles and pedestrians) and green corridors.
The Green Corridors, the construction of new bike paths, the acquisition of electric buses and the comprehensive management of solid waste are some key projects of the local administration.
The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, received the Rainforest Alliance certification in Sustainable Tourism awarded to Arví Park Corporation for its best practices in decreasing the environmental footprint and its commitment to the communities of interest.
The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-governmental organization working for the conservation of biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods. In addition to the Rainforest Alliance Certification (green frog) the Arví Park Corporation will be included in the tourism offer search system where it will appear in the Shop The Frog section and in the new interactive map of the Rainforest Alliance website. The corporation will also make part of Trip Advisor’s Green Leaders Program.
The Arví Park Corporation is the first Colombian organization to be certificated by the Rainforest Alliance in Sustainable Tourism. In addition to Arví, this seal has been awarded to other tour operators from all around the world, such as Lima Tours (Peru), Careli Tours (Nicaragua), Explore, ecotourism and adventure (Mexico), among others.
“We acknowledge the efforts of the Arví Park team and the leadership the company has assumed in the implementation of sustainability practices. Today, this has allowed them to become the first Rainforest Alliance Certified tourism company in Colombia,”said Freddy Peña, Certification Manager of the Rainforest Alliance for South America.
Its teamwork, commitment to neighboring communities and the social impact of the model of human and sustainable development are some of the actions which grant them this certification.
Mayor Federico Gutiérrez traveled to Seoul, Korea, to sign the Letter of Intent with MOLIT and implement the Traffic Function Improvement Project in the city and to officially start cooperating between both entities.
This Project seeks to implement three fundamental components for the development and improvement of smart mobility in the city:
Construction and improvement of an integrated traffic information center between the Metro System, the Enterprise for Urban Safety, ESU in Spanish, and the Mobility Secretariat.
Implementation of a regulated and systematized pilot project to manage vehicular parking.
Development of a training program for mobility officials in smart transport systems
From left to right: Delegation of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korea, MOLIT headed by Paek Seung Gun; the delegation of Medellín headed by Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga accompanied by ACI Medellín Executive Director, Catalina Restrepo Carvajal.
“We take a major step towards the management of resources to improve the quality of life in Medellín. There is no doubt, Medellín’s mobility will be among the most modern in Latin America thanks to the implementation of this Project. One of my major governmentgoals is to improve mobility, with this cooperation project with Korea, we resolutely move forward to achieve this goal,” said Mayor Federico Gutiérrez.
“The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín, carried out an important support mission for the collection of information, accompaniment to field visits and the development of the components of the Agreement. Thus, becoming an important reference in the region for the management of technical and financial cooperation resources” added Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, ACI Medellín Executive Director.
Once the Agreement is signed, MOLIT and the Mobility Secretariat will begin joint work in the implementation of the project.
Every three years, the international network ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, carries out its World Congress to gather cities and territories and work towards the construction of a sustainable future. This year, the attending cities met in Montreal (Canada) between June 18 to 22, to “globalize the cities’ sustainability.”
Medellín participated in the ICLEI South America meeting, presenting successful experiences related to waste management; sustainable mobility and low carbon impact; as well as sustainable and participatory urban design. The representation of the city was headed by the Secretary of the Environment, Sergio Andrés Orozco.
Medellín joined ICLEI in August 2013. Since then, ACI Medellín has been responsible for the relationship of the city with this International Network, facilitating the attraction of cooperation opportunities and positioning Antioquia’s capital as a leader in best practices of sustainable development
The capital of Antioquia, headed by mayor Federico Gutiérrez, is now one of the cities that make up the C40 Steering Committee. C40 connects about 100 cities, totaling a population of about 700 million people in the world. The network, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CFF) and Realdania, takes actions related to climate and leads the way for a healthier and more sustainable future.
On Wednesday, May 23, Medellín has been announced among the five new cities that will have a seat on the C40 Network Steering Committee.
The other four are: Accra (Ghana), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Nanjing (China) and Quito (Ecuador). They will be joining Boston, Copenhagen, Dubai, Durban, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Paris, Seoul and Tokyo in this executive board.
“Accra, Dhaka, Medellin, Nanjing and Quito have shown incredible leadership in the implementation of climate actions. They have inspired mayors and neighboring cities around the world. I hope I can work with my fellow mayors, as we think locally and act globally in the implementation of the Paris Agreement,” said Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris and President of C40.
For his part, mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga said: “It is an honor and a great challenge for Medellín to be one of the representatives of Latin America in the Steering Committee of the C40.We have demonstrated real leadership with actions against climate change, and through the position we assume, we will open a wide range of possibilities for the advancement of our region. We believe we are able to connect with territories that face similar obstacles to create sustainable changes in cities.”
Medellín joined C40 in 2016 and its participation has been managed from the Ministry of Environment and the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area -ACI Medellín. Both entities oversaw the application of the city for this new challenge.
In compliance with the Development Plan 2016-2019 Medellín Cuenta Con Vos and its 7th dimension: “To collectively protect the environment,” the Medellín Mayor’s Office and the Secretariat of Environment have developed a new process that seeks to protect the hydrographic basins which supply the aqueducts of the city..
It’s the Payment for Environmental Services, which seeks to protect 29 watersheds of Medellín through the payment of a monthly economic incentive for the conservation, restoration and protection of the city’s water resource to owners of 449 properties located in the rural area of the city.
In May of this year, the Mayor’s Office will select the participants according to their score in a public call. The chosen ones will receive an economic benefit according to the area of natural forest within their land (1.14 current legal minimum monthly wages per hectare) or the area of the property where the forest will be recovered (2.78 current legal minimum monthly wages).
The resources to be granted amount to 4 billion pesos. To access the grant, a person must: be owner or holder of one or more properties, be up to date in the property tax payment and declare that the property is not in discussion of ownership.
According to Sergio Andrés Orozco Escobar, Secretary of Environment of Medellín, the Payment for Environmental Services: “it’s a way to teach our people to value our environmental heritage by taking care of the water sources and environmental resources which are so important for the city and the region. In this case, the Mayor’s Office does not buy lands or expropriate them, instead invites people to stay on theirs, to take care of them, value them and take ownership of its space. This guarantees the continuity of this natural and diverse asset of Medellin.”
For more information and to continue with the application process, please write to[email protected] or dial (054) 589 8929.
Map of Medellin marking the areas to be intervened by the Environmental Services Program.
As part of the installation ICLEI’s regional office, three important projects were launched: Urban-LEDS II (Low Emissions Urban Development Strategy), EcoLogistics (urban mobility and sustainability project) and Local Protected Areas (biodiversity and management areas).
ICLEI is an international network founded in 1990 and devoted to the construction of a sustainable future. More than 1,500 cities and around 100 countries participate in it. Currently, it has 19 regional offices, including its headquarters in Bonn (Germany) and, in our context, the Secretariat for South America based in Sao Paulo (Brazil)
According to the Inter-American Development Bank – IDB, “a smart and sustainable city is an innovative that which uses information and communication technologies (ICT) and other means to improve decision-making, the efficiency of operations, the provision of urban services and its competitiveness.”
“Towards a territorial smartness route: the construction of the cities of the future” is the motto of the III Smart Cities Seminar.
Consistent with this definition, on Friday, February 23, 2018, the III Smart Cities Seminar was held in Medellín. The National Planning Department, the Administrative Planning Department of Medellín, the University of Antioquia, the National University, the Agency of International Cooperation of Japan – JICA and the consortium More Bio Cartif, led this event.
Medellín’s Development Plan Medellín Cuenta Con Vos “takes on the challenge of an Innovative Medellín, for its ability to transform and reinvent itself in the social, cultural and urban spheres.”
The objective of the event was to promote technological development in the urban transformation of the city and the creation of innovative solutions for citizen needs. National and international institutions such as the IDB, the ICEX (Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade), Metro de Medellín, the Ruta N Corporation participated in the event and Curitiba, Brasilia and Guatemala City contributed with their experiences.
In the words of the Divisional General Deputy Director of the National Planning Department -DNP, Alejandra Corchuelo Marmolejo “Medellín has made a strong progress in terms of social equity and wealth redistribution (…) and presents, like all city systems, great challenges such as: how to leverage technology and establish itself as a city system by using information intelligently and technologies to face security, productivity and connectivity challenges with the rest of the country? So, we are sure that Medellín is on a very good road, and we are going to work to become a modern and smart city.”
Bangkok, Thailand ― From February 21 to 23, the Global SDG 7 Conference: a global preparatory meeting in support of the review of SDG 7 will be held at the 2018 UN High-level Political Forum.
After its progress in the Public Transport of Medellín (TPM) project granted Medellín a place between the finalist in theEnergy Grantcall(2016), the city is invited to present its initiatives in sustainable energy in Bangkok, Thailand.
The event will be attended by first level leaders and there will be a panel for the finalists of the Energy Grant (2016) to present their initiatives in sustainable energy. “Medellín is the only city in Colombia that will be in this space. All other finalists are NGOs and companies dedicated to energy innovations,” said Carolina Franco, Knowledge Management Senior Professional at ACI Medellín.
In addition to the presentation at the Global Meeting, the mission includes the participation in two parallel events: Contribution of the work of the Energy Grant finalists to the implementation of the SDG7 and other SDGsand an exhibition called Transformation Towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies, these spaces will allow attendees to learn about Medellín’s experiences in complying with the SDG 2030 Agenda.
ACI Medellín will present the city’s initiatives which contribute to the implementation of the SDG 7 “Energy for all” such as: service coverage, electric mobility, thermal district and prepaid energy. The Agency also will talk about the challenges the city faces in this matter: affordability and the use of non-renewable energy mainly in transport.
To strengthen the diplomatic ties and cooperation processes between Colombia and Japan, the Japanese Government will develop the Transport and Urban Development Seminar 2018 in Medellín at the Marriott Medellín Hotel on February 15.
The event is developed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tourism (MLIT) of the Japanese Government. As part of the celebration of the 110th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between Japan and Colombia, the Japanese Government seeks to strengthen its efforts in cooperation and will make a follow up to the Japanese companies settled in the country.
The initiative aims to promote the development conditions of Medellín and other cities with similar growth potential, through the transfer of knowledge related to the design of integrated solutions for transport and sustainable urban development.
This event is also a mechanism to reactivate the Japanese economy in Latin American markets. According to Takuya Kurita, CEO the City Bureau of MLITT, in Japan, “we have many experiences in transportation systems and urban development and we believe that they can be applied to urban transport projects in Colombia, for a solid implementation and to support the government national and local governments.”
Medellín was selected to host the seminar due to its great progress in Latin America in the implementation of integral mobility solutions.
The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez; the president of the National Development Bank, Clemente del Valle; Deputy Minister of Transportation, Andrés Chávez and senior representatives of the Japanese Government will attend the seminar..
About 10 officials of the Swedish Government, leaded by the Vice Minister for Trade and EU Affairs, Oscar Stenström; and the Swedish Ambassador to Colombia, Tommy Strömberg, will visit Medellín next Monday, February 12, 2018.
Swedish Vice Minister for Trade and EU Affairs visits the capital of Antioquia to address the issue
They will promote sustainable solutions for the cities of the future, highlighting the importance of transportation systems. Therefore, among the suggested activities for the work agenda, crossing the city in the Metro System in the morning hours is one of the most relevant.
The Swedish Embassy in Colombia and ACI Medellín will coordinate the work agenda for the delegation during their stay in the city.
The construction of the new Metrocable line in Medellín was awarded to the temporary union UT Metrocable Line P, formed by Poma Colombia, the company responsible for designing and executing this project in the northwestern area of Medellín. The execution period will be 18 months.
The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez, announced the Municipality will invest $ 258,000 million in this major infrastructure project.
In 2004, ACI Medellín supported POMA in their decision to settle in the city. This will be the sixth Metrocable they build in the city due to their vast experience in the construction of cable transport systems for people and materials.
Benefits of Picacho’s Metrocable
Picacho’s Metrocable or Line P will benefit the people of the neighborhoods Castilla and Doce de Octubre, located in the northwestern area of Medellín.
The system will be 2,800 meters long and will have four stations. It will start in Acevedo station, which will be expanded to become a multimodal station; the second station will be built in the facilities of SENA Pedregal; the third station will be built next to the Gabriel García Márquez library, in the Doce de Octubre and the last one will be next to the peripheral Immediate Reaction Police Station (CAI) located in the neighborhood El Progreso N ° 2.
The Metrocable will represent savings of time and money for users, and the possibility of enjoying the 30,000 meters of public space around the stations.
In this way, Medellín’s mobility system gets improved, providing quality of life to its inhabitants, which is one of the reasons why the city is referred as one of the most innovative in the world.
Medellín ― Last November 2 and 3, the Fifth Meeting of Ministers and High-Level Authorities on Science and Technology of the Americas took place in the Botanical Garden, whose main objective is to promote initiatives to contribute to the transformation of the social environment of the countries of the Organization of American States (OAS).
The Deputy Secretary General of this organization, Mr. Néstor Méndez, highlighted the progress of Medellín in the implementation of innovative policies to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. “Medellín is an emblematic city. It has been a leader in the application of science, technology and innovation to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants, improving areas such as urban transport, economy and social development. It’s a city we can learn from.”
This working day ended with a tour of transformation in the Comuna 13 led by ACI Medellín. The delegates from 34countries and representatives of the OAS witnessed the social and cultural transformation the city has been through and the positive impact of the escalators in the development of this area.
The tour started in the Metro of Medellín from the Botanical Garden to the Comuna 13.The construction of the escalators allowed the development of commercial premises and family enterprises.Community leaders shared experiences with members of the OAS
On October 18, 2017, the Spanish association AMEC URBIS will hold the Technical Conference on Urban Technologies in Plaza Mayor (Medellín).
Sustainable mobility, intelligent traffic systems, intelligent management of waste and public space will be addressed on the conference.
ACI Medellín joins this initiative to support the articulation of the private and public sector for the generation of urban development in different areas of the city-region.
A large group of Colombian and Spanish experts in the areas of mobility, public space and waste management will meet at the Technical Conference on Urban Technologies to discuss the challenges faced by cities in these dimensions.
The event will be held in the Press Room of the Convention Center this next Wednesday, October 18, 2017 in Plaza Mayor, Medellín from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is organized by AMEC URBIS ―Spanish Association that brings together the companies that offer sustainable solutions for smart cities― and is supported by the Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Colombia, Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá, Medellín Mayor’s Office and local public entities such as ACI Medellín, EDU, APP , EMVARIAS and the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructures.
Attendees will learn about “the technological solutions the sector has to offer to Medellín and its Metropolitan Area to face the challenges of mobility, solid waste management and public space. The Colombian and Spanish perspectives will be complemented by brief presentations from both institutions as well as Spanish and Colombian companies,” said Diego Guri, director of AMEC URBIS.
