via Salon’s How the World Works

If you have seven minutes of free time, you should check out this video above.  If not, make time.

Recently, Guillermo Penalosa, the former Commissioner of Parks, Sports and Recreation for the city of Bogotá, spoke at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club about the changes that have gone on in Bogota since the mid 1990’s that have made the city a home for alternative transportation.  Penalosa noted that creating parks, public spaces and bicycle and pedestrian amenities isn’t only the best way to help a city grow and environmentally friendly; it’s also inexpensive.

Penalosa also happily pointed out some of the innovations going on around the world that are changing the way people think about transportation and commuting such as the Velib in Paris, real Congestion Pricing in England and Los Angeles’ bike licensing program.  Ok, I’m kidding about that last part.

Longtime Streetfilms viewers will recognize the name Penalosa, but they’ll be thinking of the Comissioner’s brother, the former Mayor of Bogota.  Streetfilms has more in-depth coverage of a lot of what Penalosa is talking about above including Bogota BRT, Ciclovia, Lessons from Bogota, and an interview with the Mayor.