The escalators in Medellín's Comuna 13 have become a tourist attraction for international urbanists. Locals seem glad to have the visitors. (Christopher Swope/Citiscope) 

Five times a week, a 52-year old delivery man named Nelson rides the world’s most celebrated outdoor escalators hauling a canister of natural gas over his shoulder.

Nelson delivers gas to residents of Comuna 13, historically one of the poorest and most violent parts of Medellín. He used to climb the neighborhood’s steep hillside on foot, a backbreaking trek up 357 stairs carrying the heavy bottles. Since the escalators arrived in 2012, Nelson’s work has become much easier on his body, and he can finish his deliveries faster. He estimates the zig-zag trip up the hillside, riding one set of moving stairs to the next, saves him about 50 minutes per week.

One thing that hasn’t changed is Nelson’s financial situation. He makes a decent living, but the escalators haven’t necessarily helped his income or created new opportunities for him — although his wife, who owns a small shop, is always happy to put him to work fixing a refrigerator or installing a countertop. “I have to work less hard and I have more time for relaxation,” Nelson says. “I don’t earn a peso more than before, but our quality of life has improved so much.”...Continue Reading

> via citiscope