Bogota

Woman wearing red, yellow, and blue umbrella hat smiling at camera during political protest in front of old Spanish-style yellow church in Bogota, Colombia.

Bogota's next big urban innovation: Equity for working women

The city that brought BRT and Ciclovía to the world is at the forefront of a new revolution.

May 11, 2026 - Melissa Bruntlett

Germany

How Global Cities Are Working to Electrify Transit

With the transportation sector accounting for a third of urban carbon emissions, cities around the world are seeking new ways to electrify their transit fleets and reduce fossil fuel consumption.

October 18, 2021 - The New York Times

Red transmilenio bus stopped at station in Bogota

Looking to the Future as TransMilenio Turns 20

The world's most famous, and influential, bus rapid transit system, which served 2.4 million riders a day in Bogotá in the days before the pandemic, offers lessons in transit planning and management as it enters its third decade.

May 25, 2021 - Reorientations

Avenida Septima

Bogotá Uses 7,000 Public Design Proposals to Redesign its Main Artery

To reimagine the city's most important artery, Bogotá sought community input via an innovative online platform.

December 15, 2020 - The City Fix

Bike Lanes

Bogotá Commits to the Bicycle

Colombia's capital city, the birthplace of the Ciclovía, is devoting public space to bikes during lockdown. To reduce traffic, the city plans to allocate even more public space to bike infrastructure and sustainable mobility moving forward.

August 13, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

Thailand

How Cities Are Responding to Automobile Congestion

As economies begin to reopen around the world, some cities are taking action to prevent widespread gridlock.

June 29, 2020 - The New York Times

Bike Lanes

Bogotá Expanding Bike Infrastructure to Respond to Coronavirus

Bogotá, Colombia is preparing for the coronavirus pandemic by making space for people on bikes in the public realm, calling bikes a hygienic option for mobility.

March 23, 2020 - SmartCitiesWorld

The Happiest Commuters in Bogotá

More people are biking in Bogotá, and they report the highest rate of happiness with their commute, above people who drive and who take transit.

July 28, 2018 - TheCityFix

Red transmilenio bus stopped at station in Bogota

A Proven Track Record for Reducing Traffic Fatalities

Vehicle fatalities are trending upward around the United States, but Colombia's capital of Bogotá may have some best practices to share.

April 19, 2018 - World Resources Institute

Bogota, Colombia

Is It Time to Rethink the Legacy of Enrique Peñalosa?

Negative responses to the "Most Influential Urbanists" list published last week overwhelmingly focused on one name on the list: Enrique Peñalosa.

October 17, 2017 - James Brasuell

Millennial on the bus

Addressing the Bus Stigma

"Buses should be cool!" transit advocates continue to yell into an uncaring oblivion.

February 15, 2017 - Boston Globe

Bogota, Colombia

When Urbanism Was a Weapon in the Cold War

The founding of Ciudad Techo in 1961 just outside of Bogota, Colombia played a key role in a strategy by the United States to beat back communist intrusions into Latin America during the height of the Cold War.

June 10, 2016 - Wilson Quarterly

Quito BRT

BRT and the Future of Transit

A Guardian Cities article examines bus rapid transit—especially of the variety delivered by the likes Jaime Lerner and Enrique Peñalosa—on its merits as an "urban panacea."

August 28, 2014 - Guardian Cities

Tracing the Growth of the Open Streets Movement

A new documentary from Streetfilms explores how open streets events–which repurpose public spaces for people, rather than vehicles–have grown over the past several decades throughout South and North America.

January 12, 2014 - Streetfilms

New Report Explores the Benefits of BRT

By synthesizing existing literature and utilizing four detailed case studies, a new report from EMBARQ explores how bus rapid transit can impact the quality of life, productivity, health, and safety of city residents.

December 12, 2013 - TheCityFix

Bogota Plans Mass Tactical Urbanism Offensive

This weekend, Bogota, Colombia will launch its second 100en1día (100 in 1 day) event, a blitz of urban interventions meant to multiply the impact of citywide citizen activism exponentially. Cities across the world are following their lead.

April 26, 2013 - This Big City

Does Urbanism Correlate with Happiness?

Planning policies related to the economy and environment are easier to measure, but Hazel Borys asks, "how do we measure national happiness, well-being, and social capital as they relate to the way we plan our neighborhoods, towns and cities?”

November 8, 2012 - Better Cities & Towns

Real Estate Investment in the Hands of the 99%

A new skyscraper is set to grace skies over Bogota, Colombia. Instead of one wealthy developer, the tower is being funded by thousands of people, each with their own stake in the property.

October 5, 2012 - Fast Company

Lessons on Urban Redevelopment from Colombia's Divergent Design Stories

The cities of Bogotá and Medellín have made dramatic transformations over the last ten years, driven in large part by their influential mayors. But while one continues to soar, the other is in crisis, reports Justin McGuirk

April 17, 2012 - The Guardian

Bogotá's Bus Rapid Transit Under Attack

In spite of international recognition from planners and transit officials, Bogotá's bus rapid transit system faced riots this month over high fares and overcrowding, Eric Jaffe reports.

March 24, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.