Megaprojects and exceptionality in the Colombian Caribbean. The Gran Malecón del Río Magdalena in Barranquilla

Abstract

The paper addresses exceptionality as a feature of urban megaprojects and as an analysis perspective. Based on the Gran Malecón del Río Magdalena in Barranquillà͠“ Colombia, this paper examines the exceptional frameworks that support macro projects, considering their narrative dimension, exceptional practices, and their spatial effects. Through interviews, documentary analysis, and field observation, the article establishes the relevance of the local context in formulating and implementing the megaproject. The study concludes that the exceptional nature of megaprojects is an urban process spatially situated and conditioned by the configuration local of actors, dynamics, and practices.