Monday, March 14, 2011

Enrique Penalosa - Presentation for ITLS

Last week, the former Mayor of Bogata, Enrique Penalosa, gave a presentation "Mobility, Sustainability and Quality of Life". Enrique uses his experience in Bogata to discuss the importance of:
* imagining the 'type of city you want to live in'
* the importance of transport as a method of improving democracy and equality
* the importance of restricting car use in a modern city
* the value-for-money effectiveness of Bus Rapid Transit as public transport option

You can see his presentation via the ITLS website by clicking here.
Or you can download his 4mb PDF presentation by clicking here (WARNING: if you click here it will begin to download the 4mb PDF presentation).

Here are some interesting quotes from the presentation:

“Transport Policy” means:
- Advanced city: "How to reduce car use".
- Developing country city: “How to facilitate car use”

While cars tend to be a means of social differentiation, bicycles integrate people as equals.

Mass transit will solve mobility but will not solve traffic jams. Only restrictions to car use will reduce traffic.

There is not a “natural” level of car use in a city.

COUNTER-INTUITIVE TRUTHS:
- The Earth circles around the sun
- More road infrastructure brings about more traffic jams

Sidewalks are the most important element of a democratic city’s infrastructure…
…and of its transport system as well.

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