Alejandro Echeverri, former director of urban projects under Mayor Sergio Fajardo, talks about the strategic urban development projects that transformed the city of Medellín, Colombia. He discusses the urban development strategy he followed, which focused on putting the largest public investments in the poorest and most violent parts of the city. Echeverri explains the process through which the government worked with community leaders and created forums through which the community could weigh in on urban development projects, with the aim of giving them ownership of the process. He describes how public communication and a focus on local workers were key in building community support. He discusses some specific projects that were undertaken and explains how the needs for renewal were prioritized. Finally he touches on how the urban renewal programs helped bring tourism to Medellín and how working with private sector partners is important to ensure sustainability of those projects beyond individual political terms.