The research project integrated participatory research methodologies, where the residents of ‘Villatina’ in the Commune 8, Medellin collected the information. Participation and empowerment were the main goals of this project, that proposed a systematic co-creative and participatory model that can help Medellin and similar cities in the creation of resilient and culturally appropriate urban projects. The information obtained has been presented at international conferences such as the annual conference of the UAA (Urban Affairs Association), held in April 2018 in Toronto, and the international congress of the European Association for Urban Planning Studies (AESOP) in Gothenburg (Sweden) in July 2018.

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The results of this research suggest that the residents of Villatina, created a unique process of resilience after a mayor landslide in 1987. The grassroots activities initiated by the residents showed their capacity of cooperation, dialogue, and resourcefulness to rebuild the neighbourhood and to create strategies of protection against extreme violence. This was part of an iterative process of dialogue and action between Villatina residents and external institutions. Ultimately, it was found that top-down developed projects in Villatina that apply participatory design strategies, might have disrupted the internal organisation and empowerment of the community, which has become more dependent on the local government interventions. 

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​The question on how to create strategies that promote resilience and empower citizen remains unanswered for Medellin informal settlements however, results of this study do suggest that true empowerment is not fully created by the top-down. Therefore, a look to both the bottom-up and top-down could perhaps help future research to unveil who has the right to lead, participate, and manage the development of the built environment, and under what political intersections