A Green Belt of synergies : a study on the implementation of a contemporary Green Belt

Sammanfattning: The prevailing urban migration is a worldwide process. This results in growing cities and a diminishing proportion of people living in the countryside. As the urbanization continues a large amount of the world’s population is expected to live in urban settlements of informal character by 2050. Green Belt has for many years been used to control urban growth and to secure the sustention of larger green areas around towns and cities. As the world is facing a large population growth, it becomes increasingly important to adopt strategies that deal with urbanisation and the upcoming challenges; the green belt appears to be one possible course of action. This thesis aims to study Green Belts’ suitability in relation to urban sprawl and informal settlements and to show examples of an implementation of a contemporary Green Belt. A case study has been done on the current Green Belt project in the city Medellin, Colombia. Colombia has a high level of urbanisation and many settlers live in informal settlements. However, in Medellin there is a pioneering approach to urban planning and a separated approach is taken regarding the rural-urban interaction zone. This distinguishes Medellin and makes it an interesting case to study. The result reveals that in order to implement a contemporary green belt that can improve nature and living habitats the implementation need to fulfil multiple purposes. The focus of a contemporary Green Belt should not be the restriction of urban growth but the assurance of a sustainable growth of cities. For the Green Belt to sustain its purposes in a city with high urbanization pressure, the Green Belt need to be based on the local context and directly contribute to the settlers in the rural-urban fringe, adjacent to the Green Belt. By studying Green Belts’ suitability in relation to urban sprawl and informal settlements a redrafting of the strategy could begin. By discussing and highlighting the current challenges within urban planning in low-income countries a need for deeper understanding is evoked. A more complex world, with many interdependent variables, requires adaptable strategies that consider each and every local condition.