Changing Social Behaviour:
Public Policies in Bogotá,
Colombia, 1995-2003
Ismael Ortiz
Urban Observatory
Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
November 2003
BOGOTA: 2003 POPULATION IN ‘LOCALIDADES’ (BOROUGHS)
CHAPINERO MARTIRES
136.232 112459 SANTA FE CANDELARIA
120.956 28.909 S. CRISTOBAL
489.997
USAQUEN
416.207
R. URIBE
458.407
B. UNIDOS
216.570
USME
234.114
SUBA
TUNJUELITO
691.314
248.705
ENGATIVA C. BOLIVAR
799.575 457.415
KENNEDY
901.109
TEUSAQUILLO A.
FONTIBON BOSA P. ARANDA NARIÑO
155.508
244.715 256.352 350.117 119.151
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Background
Bogotá London
Administrative area: 1,732 sq km 1,572 sq km
Built-up area: 421 sq km 911 sq km
Population: 7.1 million (2003) 7.2 million (2001)
Bogota’s Elected Mayors, 1988-2006:
1988 – 1990 Andres Pastrana
1990 – 1992 Juan M. Caicedo
1992 – 1994 Jaime Castro
1994 – 1997 Antanas Mockus
1997 – 2000 Enrique Penalosa
2000 – 2003 Antanas Mockus
2003 – 2006 Luis E. Garzon
Poverty in Bogotá, 2000
Population Population w ith 'NBI' Population in 'misery'
TOTAL TOTAL % TOTAL %
6,378,928 893,515 14.0 167,636 2.6
‘NBI’: Unmet basic needs
‘Misery’ line: income needed to cover essential goods and services for survival
Source: Bogota Planning Office
Bogotá: Distribution of Population
according to Socio-economic Stratum
ESTRATO Non-Residential 1 2 3 4 5 6 TOTAL
Population 70,824 478,417 2,507,283 2,882,497 495,078 208,618 142,584 6,785,302
% 1.04 7.05 36.95 42.48 7.30 3.07 2.10 100.00
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
The ‘Citizen Culture’ Policy - Principles
• Launched by Mockus in 1995 (continued by Peñalosa)
“The citizen culture policy will perhaps help show that a conscious,
socially visible and accepted change in collective habits and beliefs
may become a core component of public management, and a
common agenda for government and civil society.”
(Mockus,1998).
• A set of programmes and projects which reflect the city
government’s priority towards citizen co-existence through a
conscious change in behaviour.
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Concepts behind the policy
• A recognition of the differences between legal regulation,
cultural regulation, and moral regulation (a hypothesis about
the existence of a separation between “law, morality and
culture”)
• This leads to an observation that behaviour within the law
receives no moral or cultural approval, while illegal actions
(bribery, fraud) receive cultural endorsement.
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Law, Morality and Culture
• Behaviour rests on three systems of rules: cultural,
legal and moral.
• Cultural acceptability varies from one context to
another.
• The Law is a more systematic and organised system
of rules, and it is expressed through written codes.
• A feature of Modernity is that it unambiguously invites
every individual to create her/his own coherent
system of rules which allows her/him to self-govern
according to her/his own rationality.
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Which of the following do you respond more to?
I have a high
My conscience is I want social
opinion of the
clean approval
Legal System
I fear
I feel guilty I fear rejection
punishment
Law, Morality and Culture
Harmony vs. “Separation”
The Law
culturally
morally
morally
culturally
The Law
Culturally acceptable behaviour
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
The concept of ‘coexistence’
• To accept the norms without excuses on basis of morality,
culture or custom
• Being able to make agreements
• Being able to trust
• Being tolerant
The concept of ‘citizen culture’ :
“Rules, actions and customs shared by a community, which:
- generate sense of identity
- facilitate coexistence in urban environments
- develop the respect of common goods
- help to recognize citizens’ rights and duties.”
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Areas of government intervention
1. Transport and transit
2. Use of the city
3. Urban environment
4. Public space
5. Institutional legitimacy
6. Coexistence and security
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Transport – Assessment in 2001
Indicator Baseline
(%) 2001
Deaths through alcohol-related transport accidents 29.9%
People who identify and respect network of cycle-routes 5.6 %
People who respect traffic lights during the day 95.6%
People who use pedestrian bridges 83.0%
People who understand and respect the use of car belts 13.3%
People who respect pedestrian crossings 66.5%
People who reject avoidance of pedestrian bridges 72.8%
People who reject flouting of parking rules in public roads 62.0%
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Coexistence - Agreements and contracts
Indicator Baseline
(%) 2001
People who reached an important agreement in the
45,2%
previous year
Public space restitution through conciliatory agreements 4.7%
People who use some mechanism of participation 29.7%
People who think that law express the interest of the
62.7%
majority
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Public space – Assessment in 2001
Indicator Baseline
(%) 2001
Take-up rate in cultural events (use of available seats) 47.0 %
Annual attendance to cultural events organised by the
286,483
Mayor’s Office in lower-income areas (strata 1 and 2)
Average daily use of ‘ciclovia’ and ‘recreovia’ (Sundays &
1,896,460
Bank Holidays)
Annual attendance to recreational activities 6,894,794
Annual attendance to sports activities 391,490
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Institutional legitimacy – Assessment 2001
Baseline
Indicator 2001
Share of people who consider that taxes are re-invested in
23.1%
the city
Share of people who believe that many people do not pay
28.4%
taxes and ‘nothing’ has happened to them
Property tax evasion rate 17.0%
Number of people or organisations that pay more taxes than
0
their due according to the programme ‘110% for Bogota’
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Common Murder and Deaths in Traffic Accidents,
1991 – 2001 (per 100,000 Inhabitants)
DEATHS IN
RATE PER RATE PER
YEAR POPULATION MURDER TRAFFIC
100,000 INHAB. 100,000 INHAB.
ACCIDENTS
1991 5,172,313 2,890 55.87 1,089 21.05
1992 5,306,357 3,352 63.17 1,284 24.20
1993 5,440,401 4,352 79.99 1,260 23.16
1994 5,574,445 3,885 69.69 1,341 24.06
1995 5,708,489 3,363 58.91 1,387 24.30
1996 5,842,533 3,303 56.53 1,301 22.27
1997 5,976,579 2,814 47.08 931 15.58
1998 6,123,306 2,482 40.53 914 14.93
1999 6,271,260 2,477 39.50 878 14.00
2000 6,422,794 2,272 35.37 834 12.99
2001 6,553,622 1,993 30.41 745 11.37
2002 6 698.420 1.903 28.40 697 10.40
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Murder rate, 1991-2002
(per 100,000 Inhabitants)
T as a x 100.000 H btes .
79.99
69.69
63.17
55.87 58.91 56.53
47.08
40.53 39.50
35.37
31.05
28.42
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Año
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Deaths in traffic accidents, 1991-2002
1,284 1,260 1,341 1,387 1,301
1,089
Number .ofecases s
931 914
N o d caso
878 834
745 697
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Years
Años
Source: Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
‘Carrot’ Law
The relation between alcohol consumption and violent deaths:
In 1995:
• 49% of deaths in traffic accidents
• 33% of murders with firearms
• 35% of suicides
• 10% of accidental deaths
Disarmament
• The likelihood to cause death by accident with an firearm is 42
times higher to that when it is use for defensive purposes (US
study!).
• In 1995, 74% of murders in Bogotá involved firearms (carried
legally and illegally)
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Methodology
• Creation of the ‘Urban Culture Observatory’
• System of indicators (linked to communication
strategy)
• Communication
• Intervention on contexts
• Self-regulation
• Feedback
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Methodology - features
Communication Games •Social and cultural symbols
Mimes •Interaction in the public space
•To make visible norms that are
Carrots violated
Parties
Intervention on Cross-roads •Contexts regulate urban life
contexts Bus stops •Urban signs and symbols
•In order to change customs it is
Streets necessary to change contexts
Public space
Self-regulation Chosen driver •To develop an ability to react when a
norm is violated
Water saving
•Symbolic and communicative resources
•Red card
•“Croactivity”
•Penalties in community service
Convivencia conductor-peatón,
un ejemplo de corresponsabilidad
Tarjeta ciudadana: regulación interpersonal pacífica y aceptada.
Mimos: forma nueva de intervención de la autoridad.
Programmes
• Disarmament
• ‘Life is Sacred’
• Reduction of water consumption
• Prohibition of fireworks
• Enforcement of traffic rules
• ‘Carrot’ Law
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Administration targets, 1995 - 1998
• Increase acceptance of the citizen culture’s norms
• Empower citizens to solve conflicts
• Enrich forms of communication
• Empower citizens to drive others to accept norms
• Increase use and communication in public spaces
Administration targets, 2001 - 2004
• Reduction in violent deaths per day: from 11 to 7
• Less people disobey the law
• More disarmament by law and change in customs
• Increase of 20% of “perception of safeness”
• Increase in perception of rights and trust
• Democratisation of cultural, environmental and sports activities
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Changes on Law, culture and morality
Changes on Changes of legal Advance in cultural de- Advance in moral de-
behaviour framework legitimation legitimation
Firearms + ++
Drunk-driving ++ +
Alcohol + party Partial ++ +
Produce fireworks ++
Use of fireworks Total prohibition + ++
Use of fireworks by Total prohibition + ++
children
No use of safety belt Total + ++
Park on zebra ++ ++
crossing
No use of zebra + +
crossing
Bribe traffic police ++ +
Vote for money + +
Waste of water + ++
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
The ‘Citizen Culture’ Policy - Results
• Reduction in murder rates from 72 to 28 per 100,000 inhabitants
between 1994 and 2003 (Worldwide:7, South America: 20).
• Citizens have voluntarily surrendered to the authorities some 5,000
potentially deadly weapons.
• Improvement in the use of transport infrastructure and a consequent
reduction in mobility times, whilst promoting the use of alternative
modes of transport to the private car (new mass transit system, bicycle
routes, daily restrictions to vehicle circulation).
• Increase in citizen’s enjoyment of city space, for leisure, learning and
play (four new mega-libraries, lineal parks, bicycle routes, cultural
activities in public parks, city squares and respect for public space)
• Promotion of peaceful resolution of conflicts, and of civil resistance to
violence and terrorism.
• Change sale and consumption of alcohol through the so-called “Carrot
Law” (“Nerd’s Law” but also as in “stick-and-carrot”)
Homicidio común en Colombia,
1992-2002
6,804
6,508
5,911
28,237 28,182 28,230
25,398 26,642 25,379 25,505 26,311
26,828 23,209
23,096
4,352 4,379
No. de casos
3,885 4,024 4,327
3,506 3,585
3,352 3,363 3,303 3,285
3,046 3,097
2,763 2,814
2,470 3,149 2,482 2,477
2,209 2,104 2,238
2,055 2,017
1,787
2,172 2,035
1,881 1,963 1,902
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Colombia (/5) Medellín Cali Bogotá
Changing Social Behaviour: Public Policies in Bogotá, Colombia, 1995-2003 - Ismael Ortiz - Urban Observatory - Mayor’s Office – Bogotá
Murder rates in Latin American and US cities
200
177
158
150
150
95 89
100
70 65 62 56
50 38 36
28 28 27 24 20
11 9 5 2
0
Medellín
Washington
Brasilia
Curitiba
C. de Panamá
Buenos Aires
San Salvador
Salvador (Bahía)
Sao Paulo
Lima
Santiago
Caracas
Cali
Recife
Colombia
C. de México
Porto Alegre
Rio de Janeiro
Bogotá
Miami
Source: Revista América Economía (May 2002), Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses.