Performing, vending, and walking in the city: the internally displaced population's occupation of spaces in Medellin, Colombia

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Medellin, Colombia experience stigmatization and social, economic, and spatial exclusion. Furthermore, despite the fact that they generally remain in the city on a permanent basis, IDPs are treated as temporary or ambiguous residents. This thesis examines how IDPs respond to these experiences by permanently occupying and appropriating spaces in Medellin using social, cultural, and economic activities. Drawing primarily on evidence from two cases - the Centro de Desarrollo Cultural de Moravia and Parque Berrío - and exploring the concepts of the right to the city, spatial practice, and the transformation of space, this thesis demonstrates how performing, vending, and walking are among the activities that IDPs undertake to occupy spaces and establish their permanence in Medellin.