Over the years, media and academics have been discussing the miraculous transformation of Medellín, the second largest city in Colombia, from murder capital to most innovative city in 2013. The...Show moreOver the years, media and academics have been discussing the miraculous transformation of Medellín, the second largest city in Colombia, from murder capital to most innovative city in 2013. The application of the social urbanism model under mayor Sergio Fajardo is said to have contributed to the inclusion of historically marginalized neighborhoods substantially, however, although murder rates have declined as a result, violence continues to be a problem affecting the residents of these neighborhoods. Therefore, the question that this thesis addresses is: how has the construction and improvement of transit infrastructure, as part of the city’s model of social urbanism, contributed to social inclusion and violence reduction in what were previously the most violent neighborhoods of the city? The findings of this research suggest that the effects of the interventions were limited to the areas surrounding the transit constructions and social urbanism failed to benefit the population of the marginalized comunas as a whole.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to explore the role of Chinese economic involvement in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in the specific case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to evaluate the...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to explore the role of Chinese economic involvement in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in the specific case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to evaluate the extent to which dependency theory accurately describes these relationships. While this paper argues that patterns of dependency might not be accurate in describing Sino-African trade, the same cannot be asserted when looking at Sino-Congolese trade, which appears to embody centre-periphery dynamics. However, when addressing Chinese economic relations with Congo, another major aspect that needs consideration is investment. The potential impact that Chinese investment could have in the DRC deepens the analysis on the nature of Sino-Congolese relationship and proves that dependency theory does not provide an accurate depiction even in the Congolese case.Show less
