Making places great for residents also makes places attractive to visitors

There is a great article in the NYT Travel section about Medillin, Colombia, "A Drug-Runners’ Stronghold Finds a New Life." The discussion of the great parks and libraries that have been created makes me jealous. What is it about some of the cities in South America (Bogota, Curitiba etc.) where the Mayors do great things?

Children play in the Zen-themed Barefoot Park. Photo: Paul Smith for The New York Times