In a world of megalopolises that have dominated the progress narrative, a trend is emerging that will silently reconfigure, I believe, the global urban development landscape. Intermediate cities, those urban centers navigating between metropolitan bustle and rural tranquility, are emerging as protagonists of a new era of more balanced and sustainable urbanization.

While cities like São Paulo, Mexico City, or Bogotá continue to expand vertiginously, attracting attention and resources, more than 10,000 intermediate cities worldwide house more than half of the global urban population. 54% of the world's population resides in cities with fewer than 500,000 inhabitants. In Latin America and the Caribbean, approximately 645 cities with populations between 500,000 and 2 million are home to 205 million people, nearly 4 out of every 10 inhabitants in the region.

The appeal of these medium-sized cities goes far beyond statistics. From experience and having grown up in the ordered chaos of Bogotá, I can testify to the exhaustion produced by life in a megalopolis. Each morning, awakening is accompanied by the incessant roar of engines, impatient horns, and the accelerated rhythm of millions of people racing against time. The horizon, a concrete wall that barely allows glimpses of sky fragments between increasingly tall buildings. Trees, converted into exceptional monuments amid the predominant gray.

Intermediate cities offer a seductive alternative, including the possibility of inhabiting spaces where urban development doesn't necessarily mean alienation from nature or loss of quality of life. They are bridges between seemingly distant worlds, creating vital connections between rural areas and large urban centers. For rural populations, they represent opportunities to access basic services such as education, health, and public administration without the need to plunge into the abyss of megalopolises.

A study by the Latin American Center for Rural Development reveals that the presence of an intermediate city in a rural-urban territory is associated with greater economic growth in countries like Chile and Colombia, and with significant poverty reductions in Mexico. These cities act as catalysts for territorial development, offering markets for local products, specialized services, and employment opportunities that transcend traditionally rural economies.

What distinguishes these cities is their ability to maintain balances that megalopolises have lost. Their human scale allows for more coherent urban planning, where mobility doesn't consume precious hours of life. Access to nature isn't a privilege but an inherent characteristic. Social interactions maintain a certain community character without falling into metropolitan anonymity. Pollution, although present, doesn't reach suffocating levels.

The development of cities like Palmira in Colombia exemplifies this potential. Its connection with agricultural research centers and its focus on sustainable food systems position it as an innovation hub that benefits both the urban environment and surrounding rural areas. Intermediate cities can specialize and create unique identities, avoiding the homogenization that characterizes global megalopolises.

Intermediate cities aren't defined solely by their demographic size. Their essence lies in the functions they perform as some are regional markets, others service centers, regional capitals, economic development poles, tourist centers, or communication nodes. This functional diversity allows them to adapt to the specific needs of their territories, generating local solutions for macro challenges.

Facing global crises such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, or mass migrations, intermediate cities have demonstrated greater capacity for adaptation and resilience. Their lower population density and more direct relationship with rural environments facilitate transitions toward more sustainable economic models, such as bioeconomy or circular economy.

The migratory flow toward these cities constitutes an opportunity to rethink territorial development from a more balanced and inclusive perspective. Far from being transition spaces or cities "in development," they represent an alternative urban model with intrinsic advantages. Their growing prominence invites us to reconsider our conception of urban progress, where "bigger" doesn't necessarily mean "better."

The next time I contemplate Bogotá's congested horizon, I'll imagine a different future in some intermediate city, where progress is measured not in building height or traffic volume, but in quality of life, social cohesion, and harmony with the environment. Perhaps it's time to recognize that true urban development isn't about building ever-larger cities, but more human spaces where life can flourish in balance.