Spreading Great Ideas: Ciclovía

Since its inception, NYCSR has been documenting Ciclovía, a massive event in Bogotá, Colombia. Our coverage brought this fantastic project to a worldwide audience.

For seven hours every Sunday, Ciclovía reclaims 70 miles of city streets for biking, walking, public recreation and community life. Two million Colombians use Ciclovía to exercise, de-stress and connect with their neighbors.

Streetfilms.org produces fun, informative video vignettes that cover best practices in sustainable transport and urban living. This website makes it easy for people around the world to see how enlightened planning can create fantastic neighborhoods and cities.

Streetfilms’ Ciclovía web video has been viewed more than 140,000 times and Livable Streets advocates in cities across America are using the video to convince their public officials to hold similar events. This summer, cities around the country – including Chicago, San Francisco, Baltimore and Portland – implemented Ciclovía-style programs, to great success.

In New York City, Streetfilms’ advocacy-oriented journalism helped inspire 2008’s launch of Summer Streets. During three weekends in August, the City turned Park Avenue into a park, opening up 7 miles of city streets to hundreds of thousands of pedestrians and cyclists.

Videos

• Ciclovía: Bogotá, Colombia
• Ciclovía: Bogotá, Colombia (en español)
• Interview with Enrique Peñalosa
• Summer Streets (NYC)