Social Innovation and Sustainable Development in VulnerableCommunities of Bogotá D.C.: Cases of Ciudad Bolívar, Usme, and San Cristóbal Sur

Abstract

This article is the result of research that analyzes the role of social innovation (SI) as a strategy to promote sustainable development in vulnerable communities of Bogotá D.C., taking as case studies the localities of Ciudad Bolívar, Usme, and San Cristóbal Sur. These areas are characterized by high levels of poverty, social exclusion, labor informality, and deficiencies in infrastructure; however, they also demonstrate remarkable organizational potential and a notable capacity to generate collective solutions to the problems present in their territories.
Bogotá, as the capital of Colombia and a major economic and social center, has faced significant social and territorial challenges over several decades, derived from unbalanced urban growth processes, internal and external migration flows, as well as long-standing structural, social, economic, and educational inequalities. Despite being a city with significantly expanded infrastructure and economic and institutional development, deep gaps persist in access to basic services, employment opportunities, quality education, and the formulation of policies aimed at closing these inequalities. Bogotá still presents a low-quality index in work and housing spaces, which calls for strengthening participatory democracy and citizen inclusion in
the provision of public services. These problems are exacerbated in peripheral and informally originated areas, both rural and urban, where large sectors of the population live under conditions of social and economic vulnerability.
Thus, this article presents research-based evidence on the role of social innovation (SI) as a strategy to facilitate sustainable development in vulnerable communities of Bogotá D.C. Based on this, case studies were conducted in neighborhoods belonging to the localities of Ciudad Bolívar, Usme, and San Cristóbal Sur—recognized for their high levels of severe poverty, social exclusion, high labor informality, deficiencies in infrastructure, and security problems, among other factors. Despite these adverse conditions, these communities show strong organizational capacities and a remarkable ability to generate collective responses to the problems they face in their territories.
The research model was based on a mixed-method design. Data were collected using various techniques, including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participatory observation. These activities involved the collaboration of community leaders, social managers, entrepreneurs, and young people engaged in social innovation processes, with the purpose of reconstructing the meanings, learnings, and transformations emerging from these practices in popular urban contexts The results reveal that social innovation projects contribute significantly to promoting citizen participation, women’s leadership and empowerment, community education, and environmental sustainability. Likewise, a positive impact is evident in quality of life, social organization, and territorial participation. Additionally, favorable indirect effects were identified, such as the promotion of local entrepreneurship, improvement of social coexistence, and recovery of community spaces that help foster social integration in these areas.