Medellín Is Rural Too: Rethinking Our Sustainability

Abstract

This article analyzes the historical invisibility of Medellín's rural territory, which covers more than three times the geographic extent of the urban city. The author examines how this neglect affects quality of life in the corregimientos, worsening problems such as illiteracy, infant mortality, and housing deterioration, while undermining the city's environmental sustainability. It argues that uncontrolled urban expansion and the historical undervaluing of rural areas have fragmented peasant economies. The text proposes revisiting territorial planning paradigms, recognizing the corregimientos' potential for metropolitan environmental sustainability.