Contesting Urbanization: Community Responses to Housing Development and Conservation in Santiago de Cali, Colombia

Andres M. Urcuqui-Bustamante, University of Illinois Chicago (United States)

Poorly planned urban development creates significant social and environmental issues. Low-income urban communities and forcibly displaced rural populations, already burdened by historical marginalization, economic deprivation, and social exclusion, are frequently relocated to high-risk urban areas. When efforts to mitigate disaster risk, alleviate poverty, and achieve environmental conservation intersect, conflicts can emerge. This article examines the environmental conflict triggered by the construction of low-income residential buildings in an ecologically significant area within Melendez River watershed in Santiago de Cali, Colombia. This case study explores how long-term residents resisted a publicly funded housing project through various means, including public hearings, community meetings, protests, roadblocks, and legal actions. The article provides a comprehensive understanding of the conflict dynamics, offering insights into the roles that diverse societal factors of urban development and environmental planning play in urban disputes. This case study underscores the need for meaningful participatory approaches in urban planning and natural resource conservation that recognize and respect the diversity of actors, interests and social values involved.