6.11.09 | Toronto, Canada | IIDEX/NeoCon Canada and the Green Building Festival are pleased to announce that Enrique Peñalosa will be the 2009 Environmental Keynote speaker.  Peñalosa is recognized as one of the world’s most visionary politicians who single-handily changed for the better, Bogota, Colombia. Peñalosa will present a keynote address on the topic of “What Makes a Good City?” on September 24, 2009 at 4pm.

An accomplished public official, economist and administrator, Peñalosa completed his three-year term as Mayor of Bogotá in 2000. In the short time as Mayor, Peñalosa promoted a city model giving priority to children and public spaces and restricting private car use, building hundreds of kilometers of sidewalks, bicycle paths, pedestrian streets, greenways, and parks. Peñalosa also led efforts to improve Bogotá‘s marginal neighborhoods through citizen involvement; planted more than 100,000 trees; created a new, highly successful bus-based transit system; and turned a deteriorated downtown avenue into a dynamic pedestrian public space.

Peñalosa’s urban reforms have been recognized for their environmental benefits and contributions to the quality of life, yet he prefers to focus on their role in promoting social equity. He believes, “public spaces are one of the only environments where all citizens, regardless of income, can meet as equals … and evidence of a true democracy at work.”

Peñalosa is currently a consultant on Urban Vision and Sustainability Strategy and works with many local, regional and national governments as well as other organizations all over the world. He is Senior International Advisor to the ITDP (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy). 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. He was also a visiting scholar at New York University for 3 years and has taught at several Colombian universities.

The 2009 IIDEXNeoCon Canada Exposition and Conference and Green Building Festival

This year the Green Building Festival (GBF) has co-located its conference and exposition with IIDEX/NeoCon Canada Exposition. The two shows have forged a strategic partnership to advance the educational opportunities on sustainable design and architecture, offer an expanded range of exhibitors focused on sustainability, and develop site tours to create one of the largest green building and design events in Canada. The Green Building Festival will present their conference on September 23 and 24, and hold a co-located exposition with IIDEX on the 24 and 25. As well IIDEX/NeoCon Canada is celebrating 25 years of design firsts; whether it’s products, people, ideas, speakers or events, IIDEX/NeoCon Canada has consistently led the way in bringing design to the forefront of the Canadian design and business sectors.