2023 Freetown DAT Report - Flipbook - Page 51
Freetown DAT
bars and small shops to form an integrated campaign.
Tours consist of at least 34 local tourist points in Santa
Marta, including the trail to the Dona Marta observatory
with a view of Christ the Redeemer, local churches,
the “Pedrão” observatory, and the Michael Jackson
terrace. Pop superstar Michael Jackson filmed a portion
of his hit video for “They Don’t Care about us” in the
neighborhood in 1996. Today, a mural and bronze statue
mark this cultural history at the top of the neighborhood
overlooking the city. The neighborhood subsequently
began to receive over 10,000 visitors a month, with 80
percent of tourists coming from outside of Brazil.
Mexico City, Mexico, Placemaking & Communitybased Tourism
In a suburb of Mexico City, the city of Ecaptepec
inaugurated the Mexicable transit line in 2016 with a
series of complementary city investments, including
streetlight installations, road paving for the local
network, and commissioned over 70 street artists to
produce murals along the transit route. This led the BBC
label it possibly “the world’s most scenic commute.” The
art initiative was called “The Street is Yours,” and was
intended to build community pride and help reclaim
the streets from violence. It was built into a strategy
for a “Cultural Corridor” intended to attract business
and tourism to the area. It was reportedly inspired by
Medellin’s Metrocables success story in dramatically
reducing crime following similar investments in the
community.
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