Revitalization strategies for Colombia’s urban centers
During the second half of the 20th century, Colombia experienced a rapid urbanization process, and today more than 75% of the population lives in cities. It is estimated that by 2050, more than 85% of the Colombian population will live in urban areas, which means 20 million new urban dwellers demanding infrastructure, urban services, employment and improvements in the quality of life.
Within urban areas, urban centers have become the political, economic and cultural core of cities. City centers have a concentration of productive and economic activities six times higher than the rest of the city, and of government services eleven times higher. Central areas also retain symbolic elements and in more than 55% of cases are associated with the image that represents the identity of the municipalities.
Currently, the DNP has developed several internal and external studies on urban centers in Colombia that provide an initial characterization, diagnosis and classification of urban centers, as well as planning, financial and management alternatives and recommendations for urban centers. However, some of these studies are partially based on qualitative information, and more quantitative data and analysis are needed.
Therefore, in order to deepen the understanding of the current situation of the urban centers in Colombia and to find strategies to improve their functionality, the DNP aims to develop a National Program for the Inclusive Revitalization of City Centers (PRICC).
In this context, the World Bank has contracted IDOM to carry out the consultancy whose purpose is to formulate the conceptualization of the PRICC, considering the physical, economic, social, patrimonial and governance dimensions, through revitalization strategies that can be applied in a differentiated manner in the city centers, based on four pilot projects: Cali, Riohacha, Quibdó and Popayán.
The programme will also include the design of the institutional framework for its implementation, considering the actors involved and their fiscal and technical institutional capacity, among other aspects.
