Pop quiz: what is the most critical—yet criminally overlooked—frontier in our battle against climate change? If you said "cities", you get the gold star! Drawing from decades of global experience transforming urban landscapes, Gil Penalosa, today's guest and founder of 8 80 Cities, argues that how we design our cities in the next 40 years will fundamentally determine human sustainability for centuries to come. While most climate conversations obsess over energy, Penalosa, who came in second place in 2022's Toronto mayoral race, passionately demonstrates that urban planning is the secret weapon we've been missing—a holistic approach that combines health, equity, environmental sustainability, and human joy. His message is both urgent and optimistic: by reimagining cities as interconnected, walkable, green spaces that prioritize people over cars, we can create solutions that are not sacrifices, but pathways to a more vibrant, connected, and livable world. With infectious enthusiasm and razor-sharp insights, Gil challenges listeners to see urban design not as a technical challenge, but as a profound opportunity to reshape how humans live, move, and thrive together.
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