The cities of Bucaramanga (Colombia) and Cipolletti (Argentina) are the winners of the second edition of the international competition “City for People,” organized by the Government of the City of Buenos Aires and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The award ceremony, held in Buenos Aires, recognized the Argentine city in the Sustainable Mobility category for its proposal to implement a sustainable mobility plan designed for youth. Meanwhile, the Colombian city won in the Reviving Cities category with the renovation of the Patio de los Edecanes, a late-18th-century structure in downtown Bucaramanga.
Led by the professional support team of the Bucaramanga Mayor's Office (Taller de Arquitectura), the project is a proposal for the urban revitalization of the historic center, reconfiguring land use and integrating the area's architectural heritage. The project is also part of the master plan The Skin of Democracy, which was recently awarded in the urban design and landscaping category of the XXVI Colombian Biennial of Architecture.
Key features of the project include a pedestrian connection between 36th and 37th streets, the integration of a green wall inside, and public furniture for pedestrians. Additionally, lighting on existing sculptures and facades will be improved, and bicycle parking will be installed to support mobility. Furthermore, the project will leverage its proximity to Metrolínea, Bucaramanga's public transit network.
Alongside Bucaramanga and Cipolletti, the jury awarded special mentions to San José (Costa Rica) in the Reviving the City category and to the Brazilian city of Duque de Caxias in the Sustainable Mobility category. Additionally, the winning cities will join the Cities Network promoted by the IDB.
This competition, organized by the Government of the City of Buenos Aires and the IDB, is open to cities across Latin America and the Caribbean with populations between 50,000 and one million. For this edition, 45 projects were submitted from cities in Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico.
Via Government of the City of Buenos Aires, Universidad Santo Tomás.
This article was written by Stefania Alvarez. The translation is powered by AI.
