| Summary: | The Biblioteca España, designed
by Giancarlo Mazzanti, is a library park built to serve two traditionally marginalized
'comunas' (neighborhoods) of Medellín. As such, it is a prime example of a
public policy intervention that focuses on social inclusion, the provision of services, and
quality of life. In this paper, we ask whether improvements in state capacity and infrastructure
at the local level can have a broad impact in poor and violent communities. The survey results
reveal that citizens of 'comunas' Popular and Santa Cruz perceive their
situation to be improving at a faster rate than those of the city in general. The broader lesson
for other countries and cities facing similar challenges is that leadership and reforms do have
the potential to improve the quality of life, even in the most troubled
areas.
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