The aftermath of urban renewal

The interest of this investigation rises from the long-term renewal plan that the local government of Bogotá launched in 2007 in the city center. Although this strategic operation pretends to work for a competitive, preserved, renewed and inclusive city center, this last aspect is subject to many controversies since several urban renewal programs historically around the world have had dire consequences from a social perspective. Among the negative effects there are two common results that have occurred in many cities around the world: Firstly, the eviction of the original population necessary to carry out demolitions that give way for new constructions and secondly, the displacement of population in the form of gentrification. Although the last two cases are of great interest to be studied in a research of this type, the scenario explored by this investigation is the ex post situation of the inhabitants that are still living in the surroundings of the renovated area. For this purpose, the case selected is the construction of the Third Millennium Park, which is part of the city renewal process, and the population of the adjacent San Bernardo neighbourhood. The main objective is to identify the benefits and drawbacks that this renewal project has implied for the residents of the mentioned neighbourhood. The population living there are the first witnesses of the positive and negative outcomes of this urban renewal process. Therefore, eight years after the inauguration of the Park, it is relevant to see if there has been a positive outcome for households, considering that there have been no significant improvements in the image of the area and no gentrification took place. Two types of households (those living in an apartment complex and in detached houses) were used to compare the different realities within the same community quantify the importance of addressing the problems of a population with similar characteristics but different needs. This is an exploratory and descriptive research, whose study approach is developed through the analysis of the household's situation affected by the renewal intervention of the Third Millennium Park. The data collection involved structured surveys to 85 households and five expert interviews. In the first case, the procedure for making the sample of households surveyed was purposive. The results obtained show that the results of this experience is questionable from a socio economic point of view. The households living in the San Bernardo neighbourhood have not had the support from the local government to change their reality of abandonment and decay. The lack of a socioeconomic policy within or linked with the urban renewal one is a reality that has been happening since the local government took the decision of demolishing El Cartucho and constructing the Third Millennium Park. From a policy perspective, the balance is similar because the renewal policy designed only attended the population living in the immediate location of where the park was constructed, ignoring the inhabitants living next to it. Therefore, it is argued that a participatory process in the design, planning and implementation of the renewal did not occur. A positive outcome of the urban renewal project was an improvement in the conditions of public space in the neighbourhood and vicinity of the park. Similarly, green areas per inhabitant rose considerably with the construction of the Park. The recommendations suggested deal mainly with the way an urban renewal policy should be designed, planned and implemented. The principal points are related to the following: The approach that an urban renewal policy should have to be successful; the importance of urban governance as a form to assure a participatory, transparent, accountable and successful process; the recognition of different groups of the population in the same community and neighbourhood that have different needs; the significance of community organization processes that facilitate the strengthening of population in dealing with the public and private sectors; the integration and articulation of policies and sectors within the public administration; and finally, the commitment of politicians to assure the continuity of policies through time.