Freedom of religion or belief in urban planning of places of worship

An interreligious participatory mechanism in Manizales, Colombia

Abstract

Freedom of religion or belief can be violated in different spheres of people’s lives, such as schools, homes, hospitals or workplaces. This article considers issues in urban spaces, where planners make decisions that may affect the establishment and development of worship in the places designated for it. In Manizales, a Colombian city, an interreligious participatory mechanism was created to help identify these issues in greater detail. The article discusses how this mechanism helped to generate some proposals for the prevention of violations of freedom of religion or belief in urban planning.