A new stage began for La Otra Ciudad with a great opportunity: the Barrios Vivos program.
In 2022 La Otra Ciudad was selected as the winner of the S2Cities program and received a financial incentive of $2,850,000 COP to implement a public-space transformation project. After several analyses and fieldwork, we chose the San Rafael neighborhood in Envigado, whose characteristics posed a great challenge for making effective use of the territory.
The intervention of this space, which had been used only as a passing corridor, began with a large mural donated by a local artist, representing the spirit the neighborhood's residents dreamed of for their home: nature, birds, color and life.
Functional gardens were created and 45 new plants, flowers and shrubs of 11 native species were planted, including several plants meant to attract butterflies and pollinating birds. A composting area and a "bee hotel" were also installed.
One of the biggest problems identified in the area was the lack of play and recreation areas for local children. So we turned a concrete slab that served as an informal motorbike parking lot into a new playground where children can be physically active, develop their motor skills and even learn music without having to go far from home.
The final design of the intervention, carried out in two phases over six weekends, was reached after several workshops with the community in which, through activities, games and gatherings, local residents could tell us about their problems, their needs, the solutions they proposed and how they imagined their neighborhood.
And so, together, young and old, we took the project from paper to reality and made this dream come true, transforming more than 150 m² of public space for the benefit of the residents of the San Rafael neighborhood.
