Abstract

The steep terrain on which the city of Medellín is situated has caused the city centre to become increasingly disconnected from the Barrios1 in which the majority of the population live. (Davila. J. D, 2014) To overcome this, the government built a scheme relying on public transport to join together all social classes. They did this using a metrocable which transports people down the steep mountains of Medellín to the city centre. By providing this link to the less privileged areas of the city, the government was able to allow more people access to better education and jobs. Previous public transport lacked safety and the urban landscape of Medellín made it difficult for buses and even cars to get around due to the narrow and steep roads leading to the city centre. (Davila. J. D, 2014) These roads broke up the path to success which the metro cable stitched back together, giving them back a sense of belonging in the city.

The Medellín cable car lift also known as the MetroCable, has improved the quality of life (Centre for Public Impact (CPI), 2016) for a lot of people once living in slums. This study will analyse its effect on air quality, crime levels and conclude if it helped improved the lives of slum citizens. This analysis will be conducted by comparing levels of air pollution and crime rates before and after the cable car was put in place. Medellin’s MetroCable movement has been reinforced by Urban integral projects made to the urban setting. This essay will describe these projects that have rebuilt communities and will determine whether the MetroCable model and its other investment into the Comunas2 have improved the lives and urban environment of Medellín and if it can be applied in other urban scenarios in order to improve the connectivity within the city and improve the lives of its residence. City centre Informal settlements