I Love Green
CBC Radio had a great line-up today. The first story was about the former mayor of Bogota, Columbia, Enrique Penalosa and how he pedestrianized the city, not without major flack, including an impeachment movement. Some consultants from Japan came in and said to build more highways and he said no. Instead, Mr Penalosa introduced "no car" days and many pedestrian- only intersections. More sidewalks and bike lanes were created. Money was spent on public tranportation and developing public green space.
Mr Penalosa is now an international consultant, specializing in sustainable city planning. He speaks around the world about how making a city more liveable makes for less pollution and for much happier citizens. I don't remember too many details, but one thing he said stuck with me: "Democracy is not just people being able to vote, democracy is all about the good of all the people, not just private enterprise".
It's so refreshing to hear that democracy is not synonymous with capitalism, as we North Americans have so readily bought into. But then, it's ironic that Enrique Penalosa's first book is titled "Capitalism: The Best Option". More reading required, I think.
Mr Penalosa is now an international consultant, specializing in sustainable city planning. He speaks around the world about how making a city more liveable makes for less pollution and for much happier citizens. I don't remember too many details, but one thing he said stuck with me: "Democracy is not just people being able to vote, democracy is all about the good of all the people, not just private enterprise".
It's so refreshing to hear that democracy is not synonymous with capitalism, as we North Americans have so readily bought into. But then, it's ironic that Enrique Penalosa's first book is titled "Capitalism: The Best Option". More reading required, I think.
posted by Mo at 8:38 PM
3 Comments:
Enrique was in TO and so the local CBC station had him on here as well a couple of months ago. I listened to the interview as I commuted to work with the rest of the herd on the QEW. Great vision to dream about. Not sure how the herd will change but if it can't change in large metro's like Vancouver and TO then current form of capitalism will crumble.
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Maureen ~ Just stopping in to wish you all the best in 2008.
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