Translated by Andrés Martínez Forero
Bogotá, My City, My Home is reshaping its urban landscape with sustainability at its core. The Zona Industrial de Bogotá Strategic Project, known as ZIBo, was named one of the winners of the international competition organized by the Urban Housing Practitioners Hub (UHPH), a network that promotes the exchange of best practices, innovation, and knowledge management in housing and habitat across Latin America and the Caribbean.
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Led by the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá through the Bogotá Urban Renewal and Development Company (RenoBo), ZIBo was recognized as the leading initiative in the “Integrated Urban Services” category for its work in connecting housing solutions with essential services and urban infrastructure.
In the final stage, ZIBo competed against three other projects: Peru’s Community Primary Health Care Centers (CCAPS); Colombia’s Integration and Essential Services Hubs for Migrant Populations in Latin America and the Caribbean; and Palmira Transforms: Peace through a Smart and Human-Centered Territory, another Colombian initiative.
This year’s competition, titled “Inhabiting the Future: Innovations that Turn Vulnerability into Resilience,” brought together proposals addressing a wide range of challenges, from affordable housing innovation and the integration of urban services to climate resilience, financial innovation, and the use of technology to transform human settlements.
“Each initiative evaluated contributes, from its own context, new ways of tackling housing challenges, showing that innovation is not an abstract concept, but a living practice already taking shape in specific territories,” UHPH stated.
The award highlights ZIBo’s innovative approach: transforming 541 hectares of industrial land into a mixed-use urban district where housing, jobs, public space, and services come together to improve the quality of life of thousands of people.
ZIBo was selected as the region’s top initiative in the “Integrated Urban Services” category, in recognition of its vision to turn Bogotá’s Industrial Zone into a district with a strong offering of services and housing opportunities.
“ZIBo is now one of the largest urban renewal projects in Latin America. Its implementation is expected to deliver more than 35,000 homes, including social and priority-interest housing, in a strategically located area within Bogotá’s expanded city center. The initiative also includes a major increase in public space, stronger sustainable mobility infrastructure, and a greening strategy that will make the area friendlier, safer, and more livable,” said Carlos Felipe Reyes, general manager of the Bogotá Urban Renewal and Development Company (RenoBo).
One of the aspects highlighted by the international jury was ZIBo’s management model, which combines technological tools, data analysis, and a financing structure that brings together public and private resources.
This award underscores ZIBo’s impact i Bogotá and its potential to serve as a replicable model for other Latin American cities facing similar challenges, including the redevelopment of industrial areas, housing deficits, and the need to coordinate public and private investment.
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Carlos Felipe Reyes, general manager of the Bogotá Urban Renewal and Development Company (RenoBo), also highlighted Bogotá’s recognition by the Urban Housing Practitioners Hub (UHPH) on his X account:
¡Ganó Bogotá! 🏙👏
— Carlos Felipe Reyes (@cfreyes) May 11, 2026
Bajo el liderazgo del alcalde @CarlosFGalan, #ZIBo se consolida como un referente latinoamericano de renovación urbana.👇
Hoy, este modelo de planificación integral de largo plazo, que articula vivienda, espacio público, movilidad sostenible, desarrollo… https://t.co/Nl9nsChpA4
*This article was created using information provided by the Bogotá’s International Relations Office and curated by a journalist from Portal Bogotá. For suggestions, questions, or more information, visit Bogotá Te Escucha: https://bogota.gov.co/sdqs/
