Medellin

Extortion by street gangs has been a way of life for bus drivers in Medellin for years. But recent refusals to pay -- and subsequent murders of drivers -- has led to a massive bus strike.

Medellín, Colombia is better known for drug kingpins than architects, but a boom in exciting contemporary architecture with a humanitarian approach has both planners and designers flocking to the city.

This piece from Utne Reader looks at the role of architecture in the public works projects of Medellin, Colombia, a city that has struggled with severe crime.

Globalization has spurned a renaissance in the formerly crime-ridden Colombian city of Medellin. But some worry that the city's improvements may only be temporary.