A fervent advocate for urban design and sustainability, Enrique Peñalosa made his ideas a reality within 3 years as mayor of bogota, Colombia (1998- 2001). While mayor, his initiatives radically transformed the city which was ridden with violence and poverty and left it a city that planners and city administrators world- wide now look to as a shining example of progress. Peñalosa greatly improved slum conditions, built numerous schools, libraries, and significantly in- creased public parks and pedestrian spaces within the city. After organizing a Car-Free Day in 2000, he was awarded the Stockholm Challenge Award and rewarded by a referendum vote endorsing an annual car-free day and the elimination of all cars from streets during rush hours from 2015 onwards. His bus-based transit system, Transmilenio, is now a role model for many cities. Today, Peñalosa is President of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. He was a visiting Scholar at New york University and continues to lecture in universities throughout the world. He holds a bA in Economics and History from Duke University, a master’s Degree in Government from the IIAP in Paris and a DESS in Public Administration from the University of Paris II.