We are interested in exploring how cultural heritage in Medellin can be seen afresh through new and emerging creative practices that focus on collaborative and bottom-up values in the making of shared spaces. A key methodological approach will rely on participative and collaborative research practices used with, and across, different communities to define the making of shared spaces and shaping of new cultural values in Medellin.
Within this theme, we will look at how the valorisation and recuperation of existing tangible and intangible heritage in Medellin will provide opportunities for small-scale business development including those in the communes. To do that, we will look at the narratives and imaginaries of tangible and intangible heritage in Medellin that contribute to a novel urban model for the city as well as the development of a more inclusive and equitable city. Along these lines, we will investigate to what extent the “innovative” city planning approach and practices have included public participation in the definition of cultural values and spaces in the city of Medellin.
Research question
The general research question for the ‘Cultural Values & Heritage’ theme is:
To what extent have the ‘innovative’ city planning approaches and new emerging creative practices included public participation and collaboration in the definition of cultural values and shared spaces in the city of Medellin?
This research question will be examined through two different perspectives that currently exist in Medellín: the institutional and tangible together with the non-institutional, grassroots and intangible. These two sub-themes each have a sub question that will be addressed and explored through a focus group, a full-day seminar, walks and site-specific visits throughout the week of April 11th-April 15th 2016:
- The institutional perspective centred on the tangible:
To what extent have the normative and innovative practices in the city allowed for citizen participation in the creation of cultural values and spaces throughout the city of Medellín?
- The non-institutional perspective centred on the non-tangible
To what extent have the ‘innovative’ city planning approaches and new emerging creative practices included public participation and collaboration in the definition of cultural values and shared spaces in the city of Medellin?
Workshop date
11-14th April 2016 in Medellín, Colombia