Quebrada Santa Elena, Medellín’s two philosophies for urban water

Santa Elena: visible here, hidden there Here you can see two versions of Medellín’s relationship with water in one place. In Parque Bicentenario , the Quebrada Santa Elena is visible as a green public-space element. A few metres later, towards the street La Playa , it disappears underground. That matters because Santa Elena is not just any stream . It has a deep place in Medellín’s urban history. For a long time, it shaped the centre of the city as an open watercourse. Later, especially during the 20th century, central sections were covered. At the time, that made sense as a modern response t…