EL SEGUNDO ANILLO DE BARRANQUILLA / BIG

(Rasmussen’s fingers re-imagined for Barranquilla)

BIG´s approach always tries to find relations between the natural and built environment. Think of
systems rather than isolated problems. Thinks in different scales.

Metropolitan Barranquilla, well connected metropole of Atlántico with more than 80% of the
department’s population (2 of 2.4 million). Metropolitan Barranquilla has 5 municipalities can be divided
in 3 areas:

 Costera
 Tierra
 Rivereña

Growth of Barranquilla exploded after 2011 (relatively restricted in 80´s and 90´s). 250K+ by 2030, 550K+
by 2050, 750K+ by 2100. (Population growth timeline).

Understand the uses in the metropolitan areas. The weight of each sector in the different municipalities
and areas to establish their vocation.

 Puerto Colombia: Tourism Focus

 Barranquilla: Services Focus
 Soledad: Transport Focus
 Malambo: Manufacturing Focus
 Galapa: Agriculture Focus

Community Drive Implementation that involves both top down and bottom up approaches.

Top Down

 Policy
 Incentives + Grants
 Zoning + Land Use
 Funding
 Infrastructure
 Subsidize

Bottom Up

 Stewardship
 Activate
 Programming
 Fabricate
 Prioritize
 Education
 Implementation
Use of a research Matrix – Plans of the different layers; social, economic, agricultural, water, climate,
land use…. Understand the local conditions. Learn from local conditions but also from how other people
are dealing with similar issues around the globe (U.N. Sustainable Development Goals).

Barranquilla Today

 Population 2.1 Million

 Average Density 100 hab/ha
 Land Consumption 15,000 ha
 Mobility Road + Bus
 Energy 80% Hydro, 20% Natural Gas
 Food Primarily Import
 Water Rio Magdalena (polluted), aquifers
 Waste Primarily Landfill
 Wastewater Centralized, Partial Treatment
 Environment Degraded
 Tourism M.I.C.E

Barranquilla Tomorrow

 Population 2.65 Million (2050)

 Average Density 150 hab/ha
 Land Consumption 24,000 ha
 Mobility Full spectrum
 Energy 100% Renewable and sustainable
 Food Primarily local
 On-site rain recapture, graywater reuse
 Waste Primarily Recycled/Converted
 Wastewater Decentralized, full spectrum treated
 Environment Restored and protected
 Tourism M.I.C.E + Cultural + Eco + Gastro + Artisanal…

3 KEY CONCEPTS

Restore

Climate change. Incorporate nature into systems of city.

 Climate Action
 Clean Water and Sanitation
 Life on Land
 Life below Water
Establishing sustainable practices, restoring, and protecting the environment, adapting to climate
change, connecting people to nature.

Accessible park space next to natural habitat, not disconnected. Design the interface around natural
habitat and the city. Use nature as mitigation system for natural disasters like parks that absorb
overflows from floods.

Grow

Mixed used diverse communities, programming the cities, Services/Amenities close by.

 Sustainable Cities and Communities

 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
 Decent Work and Economic Growth
 Responsible Consumption and Growth

Planning for transit-oriented development. Creating mixed live-work neighborhoods, leveraging local
strengths and character.

Avoid mono-use neighborhoods. Connection to what is going on at the site, what is happening there.
City desirable everywhere and not only in specific parts. Equal distribution of qualities, public space,
services, amenities… A network approach with local nodes that are self-sufficient and have an even
distribution of qualities without sacrificing the differences in character and the local conditions. There
will be areas with a certain focus but without becoming mono-functional.

Connect

Safe ways of moving around, options, informal transportation.

 Good Health and Wellbeing

 Reduced Inequalities
 Gender Equality
 No Poverty

Assuring safe personal transit, expanding reliable public transit, enabling efficient logistics, creating safe
and inviting streets for all.

Cellular or fractal approach, logistics as integrated part of city fabric. Streets that acknowledge the
different users and different uses.

Thrive

Thinking beyond a city that works, new culture, neighborhoods

 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

 Quality Education
 Affordable Clean Energy
 Zero hunger

Distributing parks and services equitably, creating comfortable microclimates, supporting communities.
Every neighborhood should have a community center. Better connect people and create spaces for
people to gather (urban canopies – shade/solar energy/public bikes). Ensuring the local culture
continues to grow and evolve.

Notes

 Agriculture can be an industrial activity or peripheral activity, but it is also a cultural activity.
 What makes the historical city successful and bring that to the new city and vice versa.
 Affordability is about what access you have to services and amenities in the city. Affordability is
about distributing amenities, resources and services, great public transport, and making sure
everybody has access.
 Public space and park space are going to be a big part of post-pandemic urbanism. More work
from home and thus public space becomes more central. People stay closer to their homes.
Provide services, infrastructure close to homes, different ways to move through the city.
 Cities are usually though only as something you inhabit. Most successful cities grow out of a lot
of different ideas. We need to create diversity and diverse answers. Great cities are those that
allow trial and error (Jane Jacobs?).
 Barranquilla no fue fundada bajo las leyes de indias, la cuadricula colonial. Barranquilla creció de
manera más espontanea, no bajo una estructura predeterminada (a lo largo de un caño y una
calle). - Enrique Uribe
 Los tres puntos para considerar en el urbanismo son la relación espacios con naturaleza, la
tecnología que conecta al mundo, y la economía de manera transversal. Debemos plantear una
nueva normalidad. - Alfonso Gomez
 Debemos dejar de pensar en ciudades y pensar en territorios (sostenibles). Deja de pensar las
ciudades como hechos urbanos aislados y pesarlas en relación con su territorio. Colombia tiene
una población hiper-concentrada en pocas zonas. - Alfonso Gomez