58
D. Benjumea and A. Olszewska-Guizzo
across mountainous landscapes. Included in the Plan Maestro was the green belt
(GB), an initiative that attempted to connect the most relevant green nodes in Medellin
through walking and cycling paths, leisure centres, and other green infrastructure (e.g.
urban farming, community gardens, parks). These projects have integrated participatory design strategies (PDS), which are methods that allow community members to
take part in the design and construction of the places, while also creating a sense of
place attachment and responsibility towards the new-built spaces. Although these
projects rendered Medellin to be recognized as one of the “greenest” and most
resilient cities in the world, it has been suggested that the GB projects are part
of a governmental agenda that beautify low-income neighbourhoods through mega
green-projects to help attract middle- and upper-class tourists. In the process, lowincome residents become dispossessed of their local environment directly affecting
their social capital. In other words, the community organizations are disempowered,
and the communities become dependent on the local government interventions.
An alternative to government PDS interventions is a process that has evolved over
time inside the communities, known as community-led participation. The participative process of this approach occurs spontaneously over time, often arising as a
response to convoluted and violent external environments. Community organization, leadership, cooperation, necessity of progress and protection from violence and
disasters are the core factors that empower communities to organize and take actions
in the built or natural environment. Often these initiatives are created to benefit the
neighbourhood and closer communities. Of special attention are the Local Nature
Intervention Projects (LNIP) created and sustained by residents of these settlements
who aim to recover the natural environment that has been depleted or misused by
locals. Although these projects are part of a well-defined network of green infrastructure that is copiously adapted by residents, there has been limited attention to
these initiatives in the urban planning and policy research that could help understand
how LNIP could be integrated into the city green infrastructure GB. Furthermore,
there is a lack of studies that examine the potential of such initiatives and the effects
of these community-led interventions on the health and wellbeing of residents.
A longitudinal study has been carried out to understand the underlying action
systems in which residents of Medellin communes create appropriation over the
natural environment through LNIP and the impact of those projects in the community
health and wellbeing. From 2016, data from the residents has been collected in
the Medellin communes of Villatina (commune 8) and Eduardo Santo (commune
13). Results from this study have shown important insights of the mechanisms that
residents use to cope with the mental stress caused by extreme violent events, disasters
and poverty. Two salient factors were found to be at the core of the process of
adaptation to extreme events: Nature interaction and community activism.
Nature interaction is enabled through the LNIP, which is part of a green network
infrastructure that is often located at the fringes of residual green areas (i.e. nearby
roads or areas next to water streams). Although these green areas are randomly
located, each of them has a unique function given by the person or family that takes
care of the place. In some cases, activities for nature contemplation and community
D. Benjumea and A. Olszewska-Guizzo
across mountainous landscapes. Included in the Plan Maestro was the green belt
(GB), an initiative that attempted to connect the most relevant green nodes in Medellin
through walking and cycling paths, leisure centres, and other green infrastructure (e.g.
urban farming, community gardens, parks). These projects have integrated participatory design strategies (PDS), which are methods that allow community members to
take part in the design and construction of the places, while also creating a sense of
place attachment and responsibility towards the new-built spaces. Although these
projects rendered Medellin to be recognized as one of the “greenest” and most
resilient cities in the world, it has been suggested that the GB projects are part
of a governmental agenda that beautify low-income neighbourhoods through mega
green-projects to help attract middle- and upper-class tourists. In the process, lowincome residents become dispossessed of their local environment directly affecting
their social capital. In other words, the community organizations are disempowered,
and the communities become dependent on the local government interventions.
An alternative to government PDS interventions is a process that has evolved over
time inside the communities, known as community-led participation. The participative process of this approach occurs spontaneously over time, often arising as a
response to convoluted and violent external environments. Community organization, leadership, cooperation, necessity of progress and protection from violence and
disasters are the core factors that empower communities to organize and take actions
in the built or natural environment. Often these initiatives are created to benefit the
neighbourhood and closer communities. Of special attention are the Local Nature
Intervention Projects (LNIP) created and sustained by residents of these settlements
who aim to recover the natural environment that has been depleted or misused by
locals. Although these projects are part of a well-defined network of green infrastructure that is copiously adapted by residents, there has been limited attention to
these initiatives in the urban planning and policy research that could help understand
how LNIP could be integrated into the city green infrastructure GB. Furthermore,
there is a lack of studies that examine the potential of such initiatives and the effects
of these community-led interventions on the health and wellbeing of residents.
A longitudinal study has been carried out to understand the underlying action
systems in which residents of Medellin communes create appropriation over the
natural environment through LNIP and the impact of those projects in the community
health and wellbeing. From 2016, data from the residents has been collected in
the Medellin communes of Villatina (commune 8) and Eduardo Santo (commune
13). Results from this study have shown important insights of the mechanisms that
residents use to cope with the mental stress caused by extreme violent events, disasters
and poverty. Two salient factors were found to be at the core of the process of
adaptation to extreme events: Nature interaction and community activism.
Nature interaction is enabled through the LNIP, which is part of a green network
infrastructure that is often located at the fringes of residual green areas (i.e. nearby
roads or areas next to water streams). Although these green areas are randomly
located, each of them has a unique function given by the person or family that takes
care of the place. In some cases, activities for nature contemplation and community