A citizen initiative in Montebello, Santiago de Cali, is transforming an emblematic public space with murals that reflect local biodiversity and culture.
The project was driven by social leader and lawyer Edwin Arce together with the ToxiTour collective. The intervention turns a main meeting point of the corregimiento into a setting that represents the mountains, water sources and biodiversity of Montebello.
Resident participation was central from the start. Inhabitants contributed ideas, time and labor to define the artistic elements, aiming to strengthen belonging and care for the public space.
Beyond its artistic value, the proposal includes a focus on rural tourism with its own identity. It seeks to support local ventures, gastronomy and commerce without changing the rural character of the territory.
Arce noted that such processes, carried out in Valle del Cauca, show that transformations are more sustainable when the community takes an active part.