ABSTRACT
Public space has become a fundamental element in the transformation of Latin American cities through forms of creative innovation which mobilise social and economic processes and generate socio-environmental sustainability and wellbeing. Creative processes characterised by sustainable social innovation and urbanism and supported by government and non-government institutions have led to the metamorphosis of Medellín in Colombia. Urban and social transformation originating from major investments in public infrastructure and civic architecture has had a positive impact on the communities living under the poverty line and the communes afflicted by social and environmental issues. Over the last decade public projects founded on social urbanism and involving public policies and strategies have provided effective connections throughout the city as well as its urban and social tissue. Moreover, they have opened up inclusive and socially equitable spaces. Actions by the Municipal Administration, encompassing public space, mobility, and housing, have produced a remarkable change in the perception of life quality and sustainable wellbeing in Medellín.
