The Urban Designand Mixed-Use building for Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Cartagena,Colombia includes the beneficial components of a contemporary mixed-incomehousing intervention by establishing an appropriate development density anddiverse income mix.  This provides a means for social reintegration bydesign, and offers a regionally and economically sustainable housing typology.This project’s focus is on the unique history and hardships encountered by IDPliving in the city of Cartagena, Colombia. The IDP are the result of internalunrest due to civil wars as well as commercial development which leads todisplacement.  Many of these displaced families do not have a location tocall home and they are forced to live in shacks that are located about twohours away from downtown Cartagena, Colombia.  Currently, Colombia has theworld's second highest number of IDP, around five million. In an attempt tomitigate this increasing crisis, this plan serves to provide a socially,economically, environmentally sustainable solution to this problem.

The purpose of the project is to have a partnership between the public andprivate sectors. The government should buy property closer to the city andissue proposals to have private developers develop it to the extent that thereis both mixed-income housing and facilities for ecotourism. There would behotels, cultural events and urban gardens in a horizontal and verticallandscape in addition to aquafarming. This way, the displaced people are partof a community that is supported by education and employment ­— so there is arelationship between the displaced people and opportunities, and they cancontribute to the economy and their communities. This type of structure wouldeventually become part of the city’s normal economic structure, and allow forsustainable farming and food production.

This proposed master plan includes two hotel towers to serve as employmentgenerators for IDP and other residents in Cartagena. The Gabriel Garcia MarquezCultural Center will enhance the rich cultural aspects of the city throughdancing, theater, performing arts presentations, and will include a smallmuseum showcasing the works of the Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez.Five towers that include vertical and horizontal farming are proposed tosustain 25% of the units assigned to IDP, with options to include wind farms onthe roof of the towers. An organic market will gather and sell the products producedfrom the vertical farming and business center will provide legal and financialhelp to IDP. A day care center, a public school and a health center are alsoproposed for IDP

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