Bogota: Building a Sustainable City
My friend Daniel yesterday showed me this documentary produced by Autodesk in partnership with PBS, narrated by Brad Pitt, about the work headed by Bogotá’s ex-mayor Enrique Peñalosa, making the city one of the most sustainable in the world by implementing innovative ideas like the “TransMilenio” bus system, and causing crime rate to be reduced by 70% in only three years. Even though the documentary omits other important changes implemented by Mr. Peñalosa (along with other mayor’s before and after him), that greatly improved the life of Bogotá’s citizens and reduced environmental problems like the “pico y placa”, it is still a great eye opener. It is nice to see inspiring solutions coming from my country every once in a while. Watch the documentary after the break.
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it’s good to see progessive thinking towards the climate change problem being implemented. Bravo to Bogota!
It’s amazing that cities such as Bogota are now seen as models to emulate. But is it just a model for the third world, and not the 1st? Is Bogota just being applauded in how far it has come? Would the average Westerner find the standards in such a city to be comfortable?
Bogotá is absolutely fierce and fabulous. Talk about progressive and modern, Bogotá serves up style, fashion and educated, and friendly people. In their Trasmilenio system, they also have an honor book trading system, where riders share literature by bringing books, leaving them on bus and picking up copies that others have left, then placing them back for others to read! Colombia’s textile industry is up to par with NY and Paris, and their local designers are to die for. I’m not Colombian, but I do go there a lot for work… and I must say, I have left my heart there. “Colombia is Passion” as their slogan reads, and they are not kidding! Love me some Bogotá, my favorite city in South America!
At some point all people from Bogota dream with a renewed city. This visionaries make part of that a reality. Them and some others like Antanas Mokus inspire young people to live that vision.
Interesting video!!!
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