The Socio-politics of the urbanization - transportation nexus: infrastructural projects in the department of Antioquia in Colombia through the lens of technological politics and institutional dynamics

ABSTRACT

Development of transportation infrastructure has long been seen as a fundamental tool in shaping cities, and vice versa. However, moving beyond the discussion on the causalities of transportation infrastructure and urbanization, various authors have criticized infrastructural projects for promoting injustice and reinforcing social and spatial polarization by supporting profit-oriented developments. Contributing to this line of thought, this study examines the wider Socio-politics of the transportation – urbanization nexus in infrastructural projects associated with urban development in the department of Antioquia in Colombia. It focuses on the relationships between these projects and urban development approaches and policies, addressing the socio-political benefits and profit-oriented interests of hegemonic groups, and how infrastructures embody specific forms of power and authority of these groups. The analysis mobilizes a combination of the theory of technological politics and a strategic-relational institutionalist approach, which draws attention to the momentum of large-scale sociotechnical systems, and to the response of modern societies to specific technological imperatives.

KEYWORDS:

• Transportation infrastructure
• urban development
• technological politics
• institutionalism
• Antioquia
• Colombia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 According to Baxter and Jack (2008) the evidence that is generated from a multiple case study is strong and reliable.

2 Small scale transportation projects in the department of Antioquia are not common since infrastructures are not instrumental to the interests of the powerful. On the other hand, large scale projects in this department are common as they represent socio-political benefits and profit-oriented interests of certain population groups.

3 The banana massacre occurred in the department of Magdalena in 1928, when workers stopped operating asking for better wages and working conditions. After several weeks with no agreement, the government sent the army against the strikers, resulting in the massacre.

4 The literary work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez has as background of his novel’s key events of the economic and political history of Colombia, the banana massacre of 1928 being one of these events.

5 ‘Magic realism’ is a term used by Latin American authors to describe a setting with the unique ‘magic and fantasy’ of the real world.

6 In Colombia, guerrilla and paramilitary groups had until some years ago a prominent role on the territory of the Urabá, causing difficult access by the State to the region.

7 Our claim that specific communities obtained no benefits, implies that in comparison with the Agro-industrial sector they receive less advantages in relation to the construction of large-scale infrastructures. Since small scale and local infrastructure projects are not very common in the region, the main critique is made towards large scale infrastructure projects.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Administrative department of science, technology and innovation (COLCIENCIAS); Departamento Administrativo de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación.