Gil
Penalosa
Helping You Create 8 & 80 Cities, for Everyone
Gil’s
Call to Action
Good Intentions are NOT Enough.
Cities should make living
Older, Healthier, Happier
The Easy Choice.
Neighborhood-Cities that are
sustainable, equitable, and
playful, to attract and retain
people and businesses.
Who is Gil
Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa has a unique blend of experience, knowledge and pragmatism that has taken him to work in over 350 cities around the world.
In Bogotá, Colombia, he led the construction of over 200 parks, and transformed a small program called Ciclovia into the world’s largest ‘linear park’, over 120 km, where every Sunday and Holiday over 1.5 million people of all ages and backgrounds come out to walk, bike, run, shop, and mostly, to enjoy the presence of each other.
He’s a sought-after keynote speaker in multiple topics, for his capacity to inspire, open minds, get people moving from talking to doing. He is a Certified Professional Speaker.
Gil’s Main Topics
Services
Offered by Gil
Inspirational Keynotes
Strategic Advising
Master Classes
Cities for Everyone WEBINAR
The 8 80 Cities Connection
Gil is the Founder & Chair of 8 80 Cities. After many years running the organization as Executive Director, he now serves as Chair of the Board of Directors.
8 80 Cities, Gil Penalosa & Associates, and Cities for Everyone, work closely on some projects when they require the strengths of more than one organization.
Gil’s Cities
Because of Gil’s unique blend of experience, pragmatism and passion, many cities and organizations worldwide seek his leadership and valuable advice.
He has worked in over 350 different cities in all continents. His work intersects with. a number of fields such as transportation, public health, urban planning, parks and recreation, environment, education, and economic development.
Testimonials
From the webinars
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen • Can Public Spaces like Barcelona’s Superblocks Make Cities Healthier?
New urban concepts such as the Barcelona Superblocks, the London low traffic neighbourhood, the Paris 15 Minute city, the Freiburg – Vaugban Car free city or a mixture of these that may go some way in reducing the health burden related to current urban and transport practices. They will reduce air pollution and noise, heat island effects and increase green space and physical activity levels. Particularly the Barcelona Superblock model is promising, but the development in Barcelona itself has come to a standstill. Why, what happened and can it be applied in other cities?
Dr William Bird and Stephen McPeake • Tech and Games that Create Health
Intelligent Health’s flagship programme is Beat the Street, which sees communities transformed into a giant game where players achieve points and prizes by walking, wheeling and cycling around their local area. Using gamification, community challenges, and real-world rewards, Civic Dollars has successfully engaged people of all ages and abilities while encouraging healthier lifestyles and stronger social connections.
Jay Pitter • Black Public Joy: No Permit or Permission Required
How much safety, belonging and delight do you feel when you walk through a park? Hang out in a coffee shop? Ride the subway to work? Explore a new neighbourhood? Now, how much do you know about how history, urban planning, culture and even your personal upbringing impact those feelings, and overall access, to public joy? For well over a decade, Jay Pitter has been thinking about public space and the ways it can be designed to not only contribute to social equity but also inspire joy for everyone.