Revitalization of the industrial landscape as a cultural construction of the urban territory

Abstract

This article analyzes the revitalization of urban industrial landscapes in three Colombian cities (Bogotá, Medellín, and Barranquilla) from a critical geographical perspective that articulates both the technical and symbolic dimensions of territory. Through a mixed-methods approach combining spatial analysis, qualitative interpretation, and comparative reading, the study examines three industrial enclaves undergoing urban transformation: the Puente Aranda industrial zone (Bogotá), the Gran Manzana Simesa Partial Plan (Medellín), and the Partial Plan for Barranquillita, La Loma, and Barlovento (Barranquilla). The study highlights that urban renewal processes, even when supported by formal planning instruments such as partial plans or strategic actions, often tend to render invisible the working-class memory, symbolic appropriations, and collective meanings of place. In contrast, the research identifies community-led forms of resignification that challenge institutional logic, particularly in contexts where planning has been weak or absent. The findings reveal three distinct configurations of revitalization in Bogotá, Medellín, and Barranquilla. The discussion argues that the revitalization of industrial landscapes cannot be reduced to a mere urban planning operation, but must be understood as a cultural construction of the urban territory, where disputes over memory, use, and meaning of space intersect. The article concludes with a proposal to integrate heritage-based approaches and the right to place into urban planning policies.