Former Toronto mayoral candidate to address regional leaders at annual meeting.
Gil Penalosa is the founder and chair of the non-profit organization 8 80 Cities, as well as the first Ambassador of World Urban Parks. 8 80 Cities is guided by the simple but powerful idea that if everything we do in our cities is great for an 8-year-old and an 80-year-old, then it will be better for all people.
The General Assembly includes all mayors, county executives, commissioners, and council members of PSRC member jurisdictions. The assembly meets annually to vote on major decisions, establish the budget and elect new officers.
Mr. Penalosa has worked in over 350 different cities on all six continents, providing consultation services to decisions makers in creating cities for all people. He made his first mark in Bogota, Colombia where he led the design and construction of over 200 parks, radically transforming the 113-hectare Simon Bolivar Park where millions of people walk, run, skate, and bike.
Penalosa’s non-profit, 8 80 Cities, provokes decision-makers and community leaders to push for urban transformation, making cities healthy, happy, and sustainable where people have the right to safe and active mobility, accessible public spaces, and inclusive city-building.
Mr. Penalosa ran for Mayor of Toronto in 2022. He is also the founder and lead of Cities for Everyone, a bi-weekly web talk to share good practices and create affordable, equitable, and sustainable cities.
The General Assembly will be held Tuesday, May 30, from 11 am to 1 pm.