摘要：We present the analysis of facts and political realities that have influenced the metropolitan character of the Aburrá Valley in the periods 1950-1980 and 1980-2007. A product of urban transformation, efforts have been made to plan the valley as a territorial unit. To achieve this supra-municipal institutions have been set up, namely: Associated Municipalities of the Valley of Aburra –MASA– in 1966 and the Metrpolitan Area of the Valley of Aburrá –AMVA– in 1980. A movement towards the recognition of the ‘metropolitan’, as a political fact, is evident in this historical process. This research is supported by historical documents from the archives of such institutions and interviews with professionals who were involved in the planning of the city of Medellin as well as AMVA.
