Designing Happiness into Cities

Author and Planetizen Interchange controbutor Jay Walljasper discusses the impact of Penalosa's planning and civic measures on the public spaces of Bogota, Colombia.

"Peñalosa’s ideas stand as a beacon of hope for cities of the developing world, which even with their poverty and immense problems will absorb much of the world’s population growth over the next half-century. Based on his experiences in Bogotá, Peñalosa believes it’s a mistake to give up on these cities as good places to live.

'If we in the Third World measure our success or failure as a society in terms of income, we would have to classify ourselves as losers until the end of time,' declares Peñalosa. 'So with our limited resources, we have to invent other ways to measure success. This might mean that all kids have access to sports facilities, libraries, parks, schools, nurseries.'"