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Objective: Construction is one of the fastest growing and most important economic sectors worldwide, mainly due to its impact on job creation, trade in materials and the creation of essential infrastructure for social development. However, the behavior of the global market has recently been immersed in an environment of economic and political uncertainty, causing trade and industrial production to show signs of vulnerability. Despite the unfortunate ones established in the global economy, there will be moderate growth in rankings of developing countries like Colombia in different sectors. Methodology: Consequently, this research focused on analyzing the construction sector starting from its historical impact on Colombian economic development and its relationship with external phenomena, to the evaluation of macroeconomic indicators, supply and demand for capital goods, infrastructure and job creation through the formulation of projects in this sector, which are differential for having a public investment effect in the construction of houses and civil works. Results and conclusions: Likewise, deduce a weak recovery in the general market in relation to the factors surrounding the construction sector, evaluate and focus trends and the impact on the formulation of construction projects in the Colombian economy.

Copyright of Revista Facultad de Ciencias Economicas: Investigacion y Reflexion is the property of Revista Facultad de Ciencias Economicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Lecturas de Economia is the property of Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Ciencias Economicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The process of fiscal decentralization in Colombia, which is determined by decentralization to the market, has an intrinsic relationship with the policies of economic openness, which can be traced back to the late 1960s, which shows how increased spending from fiscal decentralization policies led to the adoption of policies focused on the liberalization and deregulation of the economy. All this in synchrony with the implementation of the Modernization of the State in Colombia. This process generates an increase in indirect and regressive fiscal oppression in the country and a loss of rights of the Colombian people from the postulates of efficiency and effectiveness imparted by the market, which have proven quite the opposite by not understanding the decentralization tied to social, economic, cultural and political relations in the country, which have generated a capture of the State with processes of corruption, property detriments, and low responsibility for the provision of public services and social rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the evolution of the Colombian economy during the COVID-19 pandemic from an aggregate perspective, as well as the fiscal policy adopted to face the crisis unleashed by the disease. It argues that in the current situation the main objective of macroeconomic policy should be to increase the level of employment and that the fiscal austerity adopted by the national government does not lead to that end. Furthermore, it considers the role of taxation in this context, and examines the government programs undertaken in use of emergency powers in light of the need for an economic and institutional framework that helps to effectively deal with socio-economic crises and natural disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century ideas of the Spanish American consumer took shape. It argues that Atlantic debates on consumption, on the one hand, and on racial difference, on the other, provided a common ground on which foreign visitors, diplomats and commentators, as well as Colombian elite intellectuals, could jointly create a positive idea of the Spanish American consumer. The article demonstrates that, in the eyes of those who had either political or economic interest in the region, it was possible for Spanish American Indians, Blacks and 'mixed races' to gradually overcome their 'backwardness' by adopting new practices of consumption. The consumption of new necessities by the Spanish American popular sectors became, for many of these commentators, an irrefutably civilising force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the history of the cut-flower industry (CFI) in the Global South region particularly rose cultivation in Ecuador and Colombia. Topics discussed include the significant contribution of CFI to the agricultural exports of said countries, the working conditions between faced by Colombian and Ecuadorian flower farm workers in addition to gender inequality and low wage rates, and the cut-flower market competition in Kenya and Malaysia.

Highlights • We propose a model that separates the impact of conflict between violent shocks and uncertainty. • We test the model using a survey with information on presence of armed groups. • We find households learn to live amid conflict, albeit at a lower income trajectory. • If presence of armed actors prolongs, farmers shift to activities with short-term yields and low profitability. • If violence intensifies, farmers concentrate on subsistence activities. Abstract This paper examines the effect of conflict on agricultural production of small farmers. First, an inter-temporal model of agricultural production is developed in which the impact of conflict is transmitted through violent shocks and uncertainty brought about by conflict. We test the model using a unique household survey applied to 4800 households in four micro-regions of Colombia. Our findings suggest households learn to live amid conflict, albeit at a lower income trajectory. When presence of non-state armed actors prolongs, farmers shift to activities with short-term yields and lower profitability from activities that require high investments. If violence intensifies in regions with presence of non-state armed actors, farmers concentrate on subsistence activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the gap between the expected and real effects of Colombian trade liberalization policy. First, we stress the influence of international integration on Colombia's growth and development, and explains why moving toward more free trade has not contributed to the consolidation of high value-added industries in that country. Ultimately, we apply the theory of political cycles and suggest that political power in Colombia has contributed to get the country trapped into an international dependency on primary commodities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deadly cycle of street dwellers in Bogotá Theories, forgetting, comparisons, policies and fatal outcomes The phenomenon of street homelessness is universal, although it occurs with greater intensity in the Third World metropolises. A state of the art reconstructed from a multidisciplinary perspective allows to notice certain forgetfulness about its determinants. This article hypothesizes that the entrance to habitability on the street in Bogotá takes place at any age, and that when this happens, the stage of despair with which the mortal cycle begins is anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article develops an analysis of foreign trade in Colombia since its economic opening and entry into the WTO in 1995 until 2016. In addition, the main products exported in this country are identified besides their influence in international trade. Then, a review of local databases such as Dian, Dane among other international ones such as the WTO and ITC is carried out. It is concluded that Colombia's foreign trade depends on mining since the country exports mainly hydrocarbons and coal; Also, although the country exports agricultural goods such as flowers, coffee and bananas that play a leading role in international trade, these are not yet decisive for the total exports of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Espacios is the property of Talleres de Impresos Oma and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

La literatura sobre la flexibilidad de los mercados laborales también se relaciona con el concepto de fluidez entendida en un sentido amplio como la movilidad de trabajadores y empleos en el mercado laboral. Calculamos las mediciones estándar de fluidez del mercado laboral urbano de Colombia y el aumento de la fluidez, especialmente después de 2010. Los modelos de desempleo de equilibrio predicen, en general, una relación negativa entre algunas de las mediciones de la fluidez y la tasa de desempleo de equilibrio. La literatura reciente sobre flujos de trabajadores y empleos señala aspectos benignos de la fluidez, dado que se espera que en los mercados laborales fluidos la duración del desempleo sea en promedio más corta. Encontramos evidencias de un efecto positivo de la fluidez sobre los diferentes índices de empleo y ocupación, utilizando modelos de regresión de variables instrumentales que explotan las variaciones de resultados laborales y la fluidez entre mercados laborales y en el tiempo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyses of public spending in Colombia tend to concentrate on short-term issues and tend to conclude that it must be reduced to guarantee macroeconomic equilibrium. This article is based on the fact that the 1991 Constitution adopted a Rule of Law that promised to modernize Colombian society and guarantee the fulfillment of economic and social rights for to the entire population. From this point of view, it examines the problems of inequality, the infrastructure requirements to improve long-term economic growth, and to comply with the Peace Agreements and the international commitments to which they gave rise. Contrary to conventional short-term analyses, to achieve the aforementioned purposes, greater public spending is required, which is allocated and executed in an efficient and equitable manner that avoids corrupt practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present a historical series of Colombian GDP from 1888 to 2013. For that purpose we have employed an expenditure approach to reconstruct the GDP for the period 1888-1929. We linked it to the official statistics data of the DANE. The result is expressed in 2011 purchasing parity dollars for international comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two scenarios for the biogas production using Banana Peel as raw material were evaluated. The first scenario involves the stand-alone production of biogas and the second scenario includes the biogas production together with other products under biorefinery concept. In both scenarios, the influence of the production scale on the process economy was assessed and feasibility limits were defined. For this purpose, the mass and energy balances were established using the software Aspen Plus along with kinetic models reported in the literature. The economic and environmental analysis of the process was performed considering Colombian economic conditions. As a result, it was found that different process scales showed great potential for biogas production. Thus, plants with greater capacity have a greater economic benefit than those with lower capacity. However, this benefit leads to high-energy consumption and greater environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After decades of internal conflict, Colombia is experiencing economic growth and urbanization. It remains, however, one of the most socially unequal countries in Latin America. Medellín, acclaimed the most innovative city, implemented large-scale transport infrastructures to link socially excluded areas to the city; new educational and cultural facilities; new public spaces and housing projects, rooted in the Barcelona model. This so-called ‘social urbanism’ has shifted local perceptions, though its socio-economic impact has been questioned. This paper focuses on the less analysed transformations in planning policy and management through two instruments: the Land Use Plan (Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial - POT) and the ‘Plan Parcial’. The research, based on a desktop review, interviews and site visits, examines the application of these instruments in Medellín, reflecting on how they contribute to achieving the aims of ‘social urbanism’. The paper explores the differences between ‘rhetoric’ and practice that are reflected in those between the city’s overarching plan (POT) and the implementation of ‘planes parciales’, focusing on redevelopment, urban renewal and urban expansion. Such differences mirror the deficiencies in the adaptation of the ‘urban project’ Barcelona model in Medellín, and provide the basis for a call to develop ‘social urbanism’ that is genuinely more socially, territorially comprehensive and inclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrialization process in Colombia has been the topic of debate by academics in the economic history of Colombia and this process usually located in the twentieth century, after the coffee takeoff and international economic planning missions. However, we want to show the process of industrialization of Medellin during the second half of the nineteenth century, from elements such as: the inadequate conditions for the development of agriculture, which nevertheless allowed the productive migration extraction to the agriculture, coupled with the cultural characteristics of Antioquia and in particular the emergence of "free" activities and assimilation of religious sentiment of the Calvinists in the paisa "ethos". For that, it is to demonstrate growth of productive factors, represented in the population and the emergence of the first industries in the territory of Antioquia, which would, in the twentieth century industrial center.

In Latin America around 45% of the working population work in the informal economy. In Colombia it is almost half. The informal economy is made up of multiple and different kinds of jobs, one of them street vending. This study examines the heterogeneity of street vending by comparing and contrasting two groups of street vendors. In this analysis, detailed information of social demographic characteristics, earnings, aspirations and perceptions of their work are used. Links between this sector and the formal economy are shown. This study shows that indeed street vendor sector has different components and policy makers should take this in account when framing public policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and communication technologies are an incident factor within companies in terms of the management of internal processes, market recognition and economic indicators that transcend their uses, in Colombia, actions are implemented through various programs for the proper use of information and communications technologies, in order to be incorporated as a continuous improvement system. Organizations such as the National Administrative Department of Statistics and the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications are key players in these programs. The objective of this research is to show the link between innovation and technology with business mechanisms and dynamics. Historical methods were used as research methodologies, as well as documentary review to know the current panorama of occurrence and incorporation of technologies and innovation in the productive and business sector. The main conclusions show that companies must reorganize market share mechanisms including new technologies, incorporating the use of structured computer programs and a better innovation that is attributed to telecommunications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a naturally occurring phenomenon that affects weather around the world. Past ENSO episodes have had severe impacts on the economy of Colombia. We study the influence of ENSO on Colombian coffee production, exports, and price. Our structural econometric specification is consistent with an economic model of the market for Colombian coffee which, in the short run, is characterized by a downward‐sloping demand curve and by a vertical supply curve. We show that El Niño (i.e., positive shocks to ENSO) is beneficial for Colombian production and exports and decreases the real price of Colombian coffee. On the contrary, La Niña (i.e., negative shocks to ENSO) depresses Colombian coffee production and exports and increases price. However, the overall impact of ENSO shocks is small. Both in the short run and in the long run, shocks to international demand for Colombian coffee are more relevant than supply‐side shocks in Colombia in explaining the dynamics of the price of Colombian coffee. Our results suggest that a given coffee price shock can have beneficial, detrimental, or negligible effects on the Colombian economy, depending on its underlying cause. As a consequence, policy responses to coffee price shocks should be designed by looking at the causes of the shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent years it has been a commonplace to think that Barranquilla has not been a scenery where the armed conflict occurred. However, the historical analysis shows the opposite. In this work we present a descriptive approach to the armed conflict dynamics in this city between 1990 and 2006. We observed that both the guerrilla groups and the paramilitary structures were actively present in the city and modified some aspect the city social, political, economic and institutional life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After being known as the ‘murder capital of the world’ in the 1990s, Medellin has pioneered innovative forms of city planning and management and was acclaimed the most innovative city in the world by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in 2013. Hosting the World Urban Forum in 2014 allowed it to showcase its approach, key elements of which have been: creation of innovative transport infrastructure linking poorer peripheral districts to the city centre; culture-led regeneration; strong support of local development from the local business sector; and a successful municipally-owned utilities company. However, the city is spreading outwards without services and employment being provided; new low-income developments are replicating high-rise models which failed worldwide; there is limited intervention in the existing informal areas, many being in highly vulnerable locations where the level of risk is likely to increase with climate change; development has little regard for topography, ecological and environmental considerations; investment in accessible and good quality public space is restricted to some areas; the quality of the public realm does not always support health and wellbeing of the ageing population. This paper explores the institutional and socio-economic context in which Medellín has achieved the internationally recognized status of an ‘innovative city’. It questions to what extent social equity, environmental sustainability and citizen empowerment have been promoted as per the ULI claims when it conferred the prize. The paper queries the extent to which ‘urban innovation’ is happening in Medellín, which has considerable implications given its recently found role as a ‘model’ city in Latin America and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trends in housing prices in Bogotá in the period 1995-2013 generated a debate among experts about the existence of a real estate bubble. This paper analyzes the determinants of the supply and demand of the construction sector, the associated markets, and the rate of growth of interest rates and land prices. The results show that there was no bubble in the market in 2012 and that the economic conditions of the 2010 decade caused the increase in housing prices. The increase of these prices throughout the country requires the evaluation of the territorial effects of the national housing policy, the role of local administrations, the use of land management instruments and the effect of these price pressures on quality and habitability of housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the discussion on the most appropriate method for measuring productivity. It takes into account the TFP, the productivity of capital, and labor productivity, as well as its interpretations, scope, and relations. Additionally, it analyzes the impacts of this discussion on the evolution of the Colombian minimum wage over the period 2001-2016. Finally, it discusses the relationship between the growth of productivity and the distribution of income between capital and labor, proposing a critique of the neoclassical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]