Frantz Pierre Explores Urban Development in Afro-Colombian Communities
With the support of the Georgetown Americas Institute, Frantz Pierre travelled to Colombia from August 5 to 20 to explore urban development challenges and opportunities in Afro-Colombian communities, particularly in Cali and Buenaventura.
His mission was to build relationships with local leaders, government officials, and academics to advance a collaborative urban redevelopment initiative. Experiencing both logistical hurdles—such as visa issues and cultural adjustments—and serendipitous breakthroughs, Pierre held pivotal meetings with Afro-Colombian scholars and planners that shaped the project’s direction.
A key outcome of the trip was the establishment of "Project Narnia," a four-phase redevelopment plan for Buenaventura, a port city where 95% of the population is Afro-Colombian. The area faces extreme poverty despite generating $2 billion annually. Pierre’s meetings with local professors, the director of an Afro-Colombian studies center, and Cali’s first Afro-Colombian urban planning director revealed deep systemic inequities and grassroots solutions.
The project aims to address urban density, economic marginalization, and infrastructure gaps through international partnerships, including potential collaborations with U.S. HBCUs and the U.S. Embassy. Pierre was able to reflect on cultural insights, such as the significance of personal networks (similar to "guanxi") in Colombian business practices, and challenges like skepticism from local stakeholders about top-down planning.
In conclusion, Pierre’s trip laid the groundwork for a transformative initiative that aligns with global frameworks such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. The trip was the basis for a new project, for which Pierre aims to hold a six-month symposium at Georgetown University aimed at formalizing partnerships, securing funding, and drafting actionable plans.
By leveraging connections with U.S. and Colombian institutions, the project seeks to amplify Afro-Colombian voices in urban development while addressing systemic inequities. Pierre emphasized the need for sustained engagement, cultural sensitivity, and local leadership to ensure the initiative’s success, inviting GAI’s support to advance this collaborative effort.