Speaker:  Oscar Edmundo Diaz
Former Special Advisor to the Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia and expert in bus rapid transit systems

Exploring how cities can become resilient, sustainable landscapes, particularly when facing the multiple threats posed by climate change. 

The wide-ranging effects of climate change—including rising seas, volatile weather, resource shortages, and a growing population of climate refuges—are already forcing us to reimagine how we can utilize urban space in new ways: How can we reduce energy use and waste in our communities? How can we promote environmental justice and not continue to pollute our poorest communities? How can we perform a managed retreat away from volatile shorelines instead of rebuilding after the latest storm? How can we move away from a car-based culture that demands parking lots always be the first step in any new urban development? How do we promote inclusive pedestrian and cyclist culture in our neighborhoods? 

To help us answer some of these questions, we will hear from Oscar Edmundo Díaz, former special adviser to Mayor Peñalosa of Bogotá, Colombia. Mr. Diaz will narrate the remarkable story of Bogotá’s rapid bus network, TransMilenio, which transports 681 million passengers annually. We’ll also hear from a panel of local thinkers and leaders, including Carm Basile, CEO of CDTA, Jennifer Ceponis, Senior Transportation Planner at CDTC, and Lindsay Zefting, Senior Engineer at Alta Planning, who will help us extend the conversation to the difficult questions and exciting possibilities facing the Capital Region around sustainability and community-building in the decades ahead.

An accompanying series of masterclasses for a select group will extend and deepen the conversation and lead to possible policy suggestions.

Reif Larsen, the 2019-2020 Writer-in-Residence at the Troy Innovation Garage, will host the Garage Talks series.