Sustainable NYE City #10: Bogota, Colombia

Can poverty be connected to hope by way of design?

This is a question that we should all be pondering as the world reaches 2010, the recession continues, and reality hits harder than usual. For some, like the 7+ million that live in Bogota, Colombia, misery and barely making ends meet is all they’ve ever known….Yet, things have improved. Bogota is the perfect place to visit if you’re in need of a pilgrimage on perspective in 2010. After Bogota’s ex-mayor (1998-2001), Enrique Penalosa severely limited car use, expanded pedestrian walkways and bike paths, and designed an aggressive, sleek public bus system, the city’s crime rate dropped by 70% over the course of 10 years.

Penalosa took a few tips for Curitiba, Brazil‘s successful public transportation revolution, but it wasn’t an easy model to copy. At the time, the public bus system – which consisted of wreckless drivers, poor timing, and an inefficient routing system – was deeply seated in the hands of a mafia. Their lack of desire to pay heed to governmental mandates was most displayed in the form of physical force. Local shopkeepers were also disinterested in Penalosa’s “people and public transport” ideas. They argued (and still argue) that pedestrian streets, without parking, significantly limit their sales.

Yet Penalosa remained firm in his ideas and today, in part because of its sustainability measures and in part because of its wealth of universities, Bogota is touted as the “Athens of South America.” Every Sunday, 120 kilometers of main arteries within the city are restricted to pedestrian-only use, providing a way for residents to get out and enjoy a city free from the congestion of cars. A single, three-lane wide pedestrian path stretches through the heart of the city, connecting parks, libraries, universities, and many of the major “Transmilenio” bus stops. Even Brad Pitt has taken notice. He acts as the narrator in this 20-minute PBS/Autodesk presentation on the making of a more sustainable Bogota.

“So many of Colombia’s people live in poverty,” Penalosa says. “Why should we invest in people who have cars?…People need to walk. People need to move about to be happy.”

If you’re worried about finding happiness in 2010, Bogota is proof that it’s just a few footsteps away.