Enrique Peñalosa

Enrique Peñalosa is an internationally respected urban thinker who profoundly transformed Bogotá into a global model during his two non-consecutive terms as Mayor. He has advised local and national governments in Asia, Africa, Australia, Latin America, and the United States, influencing urban policies worldwide.

Among his notable achievements is the creation of TransMilenio, the world’s best bus-based mass transit system, which moves 2.4 million passengers daily and serves as a model for hundreds of cities. He also initiated Bogotá’s first Metro line and developed an extensive bicycle network when only a few northern European cities had one.

During his tenure, he spearheaded the development of hundreds of parks, sports and cultural centers, large libraries, 67 schools, and high-quality urban projects for over 500,000 residents, as well as the radical redevelopment of 33 hectares in Bogotá’s center. For his work, Bogotá received the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale.

Peñalosa served as President of the Board of New York’s Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and was a member of the Commission for the Reinvention of Transport of the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority. He recently published the book "Equality and the City."

His TED Talk has nearly one million views, and his X account has more than 2 million followers.