Planning Histories and the New Progressive Planning Agenda in Colombia

This chapter examines the recent planning histories of Colombia, with a particular focus on the development and implementation of a progressive planning agenda of the current administration, which has been in power since 2022. It investigates how progressive narratives and policies address historical legacies of colonialism, exploitation, and conflict and to what extent the proposed reforms and programmes fulfil this purpose. The current Colombian government is suggesting innovative pathways to what has been defined as a new generation of progressive governments in Latin America. It has successfully linked local struggles against inequality, conflict and environmental exploitation with global issues of climate catastrophe, social exclusion and racism, and economic disparity. These are articulated in a narrative of ‘total peace’ and ‘Colombia as a world power of life’, effectively showing strides towards transformative change. This chapter argues that enhancing accountability, monitoring, and strengthening public institutions for long-term strategies can help uphold social and environmental justice goals and overcome complex structural and institutional barriers even during political shifts. The case study of Colombian progressive planning is contextualised with colonial, post-independence, modern neoliberal development, and the ‘Pink Tide’ planning histories in Latin America.