The Mayor of Medellín, Anibal Gaviria, and the Governor of Antioquia, Sergio Fajardo, both know that a city generates development and that, in order to do so, it must have clear and well-defined policies.

With this is mind, Gaviria suggested creating an observation group for public policies, habitat and housing during his speech at the National Urban Forum in Medellín. “Housing and habitat are an opportunity for inclusion for the most vulnerable,” the Mayor said, adding that the definition of public policies is key in the search for solutions to social issues; “without public policies and public goods it won’t be possible to face society’s problems”.

Meanwhile the executive director of the United Nations’ Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat), Joan Clos, pointed out that a city is made “by human beings for human beings, and we can’t forget that it is the fruit of a collective effort. A city, Clos pointed out, “must be well designed in order to generate development.”