STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN OF THE URBAN CENTRE OF GINEBRA, COLOMBIA.
Maria Jimena Peña-Reyes, "Urbanisme et aménagement du territoire" Institut d'architecture, Université de Genéve

The territory of the municipality of Ginebra is located in the plain zone of the geographical valley of the Cauca river in the south-west of Colombia and is surrounded by the central cordillera of the Andes region. In the East a small part of the territory is located in an uneven area of the central cordillera of the mountain. Santiago de Cali, the region’s major capital is situated 60 km to the south of Ginebra . The population of the municipality comprises 19.948 inhabitants, of which 5287 are living in the urban centre (Casco urbano Ginebra) and 14661 reside in the rural zone. The transportation system is a network of routes leading through urban centres (16.100 meters), of which only 75% are paved. The agriculture, horticulture and tourism industry represent the musicality’s principal sources of income. Should be mentioned that the national festival of Andean and Colombian music attracts thousands of people from all over Colombia each year and transforms the urban centre into a huge fair.

In South America urban practice consists not only of constant interaction with the various fields involved in the development of areas, but also in an intense struggle to fight all the problems caused by the excessive unplanned growth cities. The Colombian government became aware of this problem and issued the directive 388 in July 1997, which amends regional planning legislation. This new planning act makes the provision of regional plans mandatory for both, urban and rural areas. Previously, only the large cities were subject to such plans. Currently the villages and communes are developing their own regional plans in accordance to this new planning legislation.

Confronted with this context, and ceasing the occasion to contribute to the development of a regional plan for my native commune, this research seeks to bring a solution based on the pursuit of a better form of intervention on Colombian establishments. It represents an alternative to the development of local plans and it puts into place a framework for a strategic master plan. Strategic planning is a concept that was originally initiated in Spain, but is now widely spread in Argentina and Cuba. By means of participative processes and by clarifying the strengths and weaknesses, it allows to create the necessary conditions for a more flexible and sustainable urban development. Strategic planning also allows to separate the study of the territory into different systems of analysis (administrative system, biophysical system, social system, economic system, functional system) and into activity domains (General, rural and urban) which eventually leads to a specialisation of disciplines and the focusing on specific problems of the territory.

Examining the functional and physical systems of the urban village structure of Ginebra (Colombia) and benefiting from my special interest and knowledge about my native commune, I aim to present an alternative solution for the implementation of a strategic plan, which directs the structuring of the urban centre of the village of Ginebra. A strategic master plan is a project which focuses not only on the urban organization of space, but attempts to set objectives for the future development of cities and to work out the structuring of an urban network through the analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. The justifications to set such a study in a Colombian context are the following: Ginebra’s necessity to put forward an urban development plan with a clear structure and orientation; it’s need to foresee the future of the territory in order to direct the urban and rural expansion of existing establishments; but most of all it’s aim to promote the village’s ecological, tourist and cultural profile by means of a holistic approach that takes into account all the potentialities, especially its assets of environmental and the cultural heritage/inheritance (such as the national festival of the Andean music and traditional gastronomy).This resources would allow to heave a closer look at the development of the changing even conditions of third world country settlements.


Addresses:
Monsieur Alcalde, Jesus Fernado Martinez
Maire de la municipalité de Ginebra
Alcaldìa municipal
Cra 3 N°, 4-17 Ginebra
Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Prof. Riccardo Mariani
Architecte, urbaniste, historien
Professeur responsable du 3ème cycle
"Urbanisme et aménagement du territoire"
Institut d'architecture
Université de Genéve
Site de Battelle- 7 route de Drize
CH-1227 Carouge/Genève.
Lunapenha@yahoo.com