exchange 6: The Demolition Dilemma
A Joint Seminar between AHI and the Special Program for Urban and Regional Studies (SPURS) at MIT.
Presenters: Enriques Peñalosa (former Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia), and Fred Salvucci, (former Secretary of Transportation, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA )
Place: Stella Room (7-338), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachsetts Avenue, Cambridge 02138, MA
Date: September 17, 2009
Printable flyer here.
The Demolition Dilemma
Transforming our cities from the ones that we have, to the ones that we want, is a complicated and often messy endeavor. Efforts to provide public goods like transportation, affordable housing, and green space usually require sacrifice on the part of some set of constituents. The decision to demolish existing urban fabric, especially housing, is a tough one. This Exchange aims to explore government’s power to transform the city, the public’s right to be consulted and the process that generates positive transformation.
Enrique Penalosa will reflect on his experience implementing major transportation and housing projects in Bogota. Fred Salvucci, will compare and contrast the local experience in implementing major infrastructure projects. These two esteemed change-makers will discuss when demolition makes sense, how and with whom the decision should be made, and the consequences and challenges of implementation. |
Previous Exchanges: 1: Leading from the Pack: Peer-Group Networks as Change Agents 2: The Community's Role in Complex Urban Redevelopment 3: Lucky You: Dealing with Legacy Inventory 4: Local Autonomy vs. State Controls in Urban Planning 5: The Ground Beneath Their Feet 6: The Demolition Dilemma |
Colombia
Enrique Peñalosa , is an accomplished former public official, economist and administrator. During his tenure as Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia (1998-2001) he led massive efforts related to transportation, land use and housing for the poor, pollution abatement, and the critical need for public spaces. He led efforts to improve Bogotá’s marginal neighborhoods through citizen involvement; created a new, highly successful bus-based transit system; and turned a deteriorated downtown avenue into a dynamic pedestrian public space. He is currently researching and writing a book on a new urban-development model for the developing countries, which covers fields such as transportation and land use and housing for the poor.
USA
Fred Salvucci , is a civil engineer specializing in transportation, with particular interest in infrastructure, urban transportation, public transportation, and institutional development in decision- making. He served as transportation advisor to Boston Mayor Kevin White between 1970 and 1974, and then as Secretary of Transportation of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts under Governor Michael Dukakis between 1975 and 1978 and again from 1983 to 1990. In those roles he participated in much of the transportation planning and policy formulation in the Boston urbanized area and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of the past 35 years.
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