Tad Fettig

As few as 10 years ago Bogotá, Colombia was characterized by drug cartels, senseless violence and a 30-year civil war. Every three hours someone was kidnapped; every 15 minutes someone was murdered. Today, as you move around the city you’ll see mega-libraries, greenways, 1,000 parks, over 70,000 trees and a state-of-the art transportation system called the TransMilenio. People from all walks of life are out of their cars, enjoying their city space- parents strolling with their kids, neighbours meeting and talking with one another. This remarkable transition came out of the vision that Enrique Peñalosa, mayor of Bogotá from 1997 through 2000, had for his city. Peñalosa believed that cities should encourage walking and biking, which would promote community and make the streets safer for everyone