Origins in Bogotá

Bogotá is the capital district of Colombia and the country’s largest city, a high-altitude metropolis of more than seven million people sitting on the Sabana plateau at roughly 2,600 meters above sea level. The city is the political, financial, and cultural center of Colombia, and its community life is correspondingly dense: a large and growing startup ecosystem, major universities including Universidad Nacional and Los Andes, a strong arts and design scene in neighborhoods like La Candelaria and Chapinero, and deep traditions of civic organizing across its localities. Bogotá is a city of contrasts — formal and informal, wealthy and working-class, traditional and forward-looking — and its residents, known as rolos and cachacos, are famously resilient and increasingly optimistic. The TransMilenio bus system and the city’s growing cycling network (ciclovía Sundays close major streets to cars) shape how and where people gather, and the city’s many parks and public squares host a constant calendar of community events. For anyone organizing or joining a community in Bogotá, the reward is a city with scale, energy, and opportunity — but also one that rewards patience, clear communication, and a genuine connection to place.