Once mired with problems of citizen safety and public order, Medellín city is now becoming famous for its innovative sustainable transport. Plagued by urban warfare in the 1980s and 1990s, the city’s recent efforts to improve public transport, create better public spaces, and improve safety have transformed the city.  To highlight these best practices, Streetfilms, in collaboration with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, is releasing a video documenting these changes.

These efforts include the development of a bus rapid transit system, MetroPlús, which is fully integrated with the existing underground metro and cable car systems, EnCicla bike share, and 1.6 million square meters of new public space, including 25 new parks and 11 new promenades.

Medellín is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. With more than 3.5 million people, the city is one of the strongest economic regions in the country. Medellín’s recuperation of its public spaces has brought direct benefits to 800,000 residents, mostly through increased and safer access to public transport. The city has also introduced an Intelligent Mobility System (SIMM), aimed at improving mobility and road safety for all users, which has reduced response time to road side accidents from 40 minutes (2008) to 18 minutes (2011). For these reasons, Medellin was awarded the 2012 Sustainable Transport Award.

The city has demonstrated the ability of a city to transcend its past and make sustainable roads to a better future for its residents.  Watch this video and see the wonderful transformation of Medellin.