Event: "What happens when you give street space back to people?"

Presenter: Enrique Peñalosa, former Mayor of Bogotá, Columbia

Organizers: Transportation Alternatives, NYC; Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, NYC

Location: Union Square Ballroom, 03.22.06

In Enrique Peñalosa's three years in office, governmental regulations and infrastructural developments transformed Bogotá from one of the world's most chaotic cities into a model "pedestrian network." Peñalosa was nearly impeached because of citizens' objections to his attempt to ban cars from parking on sidewalks in the capitol. In spite of planning departments that prioritize the use of cars in urban spaces, Peñalosa established an efficient rapid bus transit system, a network of hundreds of kilometers of bicycle paths, and launched "Car Free Days" every Sunday to encourage alternative modes of transport. Since his term expired in December 2000, he has continued to champion a worldwide view of pedestrian-friendly cities.

Recalling a study exploring where people choose to sit in city parks, Peñalosa revealed that the most popular locations are not in the scenic areas near the water or in a grove. Instead, people most often choose benches on paths populated by others, where they can interact and people-watch. "Cities are not meant just to survive but to live, to thrive." It is clear that urban dwellers flourish with human contact. Or, as Peñalosa put it, it's not enough that sidewalks have enough space for people; rather, "sidewalks are for kissing."

Scott Jardine is a writer and project architect at David Fratianne Architect in New York City