World famous urbanist Enrique Penalosa to visit Kazan

(KZN.RU, December 5) President of the Institute for Transportation and Development of New York (IDTP) Enrique Penalosa is due to visit the capital of Tatarstan early next week at the personal invitation of Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin.

On December 9-10, the world urbanism guru will deliver public lectures for state and municipal officials, business representatives and students.

In 1998 – 2001, while occupying the post of Mayor of Bogota, the eight million inhabitant capital of Colombia, Mr. Enrique Penalosa literally transformed the city, turning it into an international role model. He currently holds the position of Chairman of the Board of the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy in New York, is a member of the Board of Trustees of Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc – Southern California Institute of Architecture), a member of the Advisory Committee on Urban Development at the London School of Economics and Fellow of the Institute of Urban Studies at University of Pennsylvania.

"Despite the fact that every city is unique, the problems it faces at the municipal level are in many respects similar. Therefore, we strive to learn from the best international practices and use them in Kazan. We met with Mr. Enrique Penalosa at an international forum. I must say that his experience – not only theoretical, but also in outstanding practical urban governance – struck me as most interesting. Although Mr. Penalosa is currently extremely busy as a presidential candidate, he has agreed to visit Kazan, for which I am very grateful to him," commented Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin on the upcoming visit.

At the heart of Enrique Penalosa's urban model is the priority of public spaces and a maximal reduction in the use of private cars. He created a public transportation system TransMilenio, which reduced traffic congestion by 40% and is considered one of the best in the world. Instead of investing in the expansion of infrastructure for motorists, Mr. Enrique Penalosa built hundreds of kilometers of bicycle paths and roads, sidewalks and pedestrian streets surrounded by greenery. At the same time, Mr. Enrique Penalosa sharply restricted the use of private vehicles.