In view of rapidly progressing urbanization worldwide, informal settlements, especially in the cities of the global south must be a focus of our attention – because in the future, the majority of new city inhabitants will settle in these unplanned extensions of urban centers. The tools and methods of conventional urban planning have so far been unable to tackle this phenomenon. New approaches, combining top-down planning and bottom-up initiatives to create sustainable and viable living environments, are required.
The book presents alternative planning approaches put forward by an international think-and-do tank, developed alongside local participants from the Moravia informal settlement at the heart of Medellín, Colombia. The urban coding planning approach demonstrates new ways in which planning, politics, economy, and administration can initiate and implement innovative and inclusive urban transformation processes together with local communities.