[sustran] Re: Support Bogota C/FD 2004

[Carlos Felipe Pardo V.]

Hey everybody,
 
I would suggest that the letter starts congratulating the mayor on the February Carfree day this year. The argument he's given for not doing the CFD is that "two days is too much". We would have to argue this, that "two days is too little", and that the efforts done to achieve the Bogotá that we now live in (I live in Bogotá) are due to Peñalosa's and Mockus's proposals (in that order of importance). He should continue with this inertia that has been generated since the 1990's (not too far away, but it works).

I would suggest adding the following to your sample letter, based on the first paragraph:
 
"We would respectfully like to indicate our strong support for your city’s participation in the forthcoming Car/Free Day project in September, to repeat what you have already done in Februray this year. It would be very important for your city to have two car free days in one year for the second time, since it would contribute to Bogotá's image as an example for the world in terms of sustainable transport."
"On the other hand, your city would also be a part of the global Car Free Cities initiative, as it was last year in september 22..."
 
I hope it helps. Maybe we're being too defensive, don't you think?

ecoplan.adsl at wanadoo.fr wrote:

Monday, August 23, 2004, Paris, France, Europe

 

Dear Friends,

 

We have learned that the new mayoral administration of the city of Bogota Colombia is hesitating about holding that city’s fourth consecutive Car/Free Day this year.  We would hate to see this fine tradition of innovation and sustainable mobility interrupted, and we are therefore sending this note to all of you out there to see if some of you might be so kind as to write a short note encouraging the city’s political leaders to continue this fine program.

 

Quick Background on Bogota Car/Free Days 

 

As you may recall, this program under The Commons has taken an active role in supporting both the first several Car/Free Days in Bogota, and indeed for our successful collaboration for the first day back in 2000 both we and the city were jointly awarded the Stockholm Prize for Environment.  In case you are curious here are a couple of historic reminders for this first and most important round of collaboration by way of quick background:

 

   Lessons of Bogotá's First Car Free Day - http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/bogota/lessons.htm
   Bogotá 2000 Car/Free Day International Guestbook at http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/bogota/bogota4-guestbook.htm - which brought together more than one hundred letters of support for that project.
   The Bogota Project – at http://ecoplan.org/votebogota2000 
   Stockholm 2000 Environment Prize Citation: “Bogotá Car Free Day Creates New Model for Organizing Transportation in World Cities- at  http://www.challenge.stockholm.se/feature_right.asp?IdNr=5

 

2004 Peer Support/Mailing:

 

I propose that we are modest in this approach, because it is not of course for any of us to tell the duly elected fine of that city of seven people what to do.  But we can encourage them, not least because of the importance of their terrific international lead which has served well the people of Bogota, of Colombia and indeed many cities and groups across the developing world.

 

There are several recommended local contact points for this, including the mayor’s office, the city's Department of Transit and Transport., the TransMilenio' program,  and the Ciudad Humana. Since no single official contact has yet been because time is now pressing, I propose that for now you address your email notes of support to mailto:bogota at ecoplan.org and we will see to them that they are forwarded immediately to the designated contact. (We shall also, as we usually do in these case, be pleased to post them on this site in a place of honor, (so if you prefer not to appear there be sure to let us know in your note).

 

International Coordination: 

 

Finally, we are coordinating with two other international groups on this support effort, for whom the respective contacts are:

   For the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), Oscar Edmundo Diaz, Latin America Regional Director; diazoe at itdp.org
   For Car Busters and the World Carfree Network: Randall Ghent, Co-Director, Int'l Coordination Centre - rghent at gmx.net

 

We shall of course be coordinating closely with and copying to them as well.

 

Kind thanks for taking the time to read this note.  And if you can see your way to it replying with a short note of support here at bogota at ecoplan.org, which we shall duly forward.  (I attach a copy of my message of support by way of example, including for the address.

 

With all good wishes,

 

Eric Britton

 

The New Mobility Agenda at http://newmobility.org 

The New Mobility Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldTransport/

 

The Commons: Open Society Sustainability Initiative 

Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France

Tel: +331 4326 1323         Mobile: +336 8096 7879

24 hour Fax/Voicemail hotline: +33 (1) 53 01 28 96

IP Videoconference: 81.65.50.63

Email: postmaster at ecoplan.org    

 

 

 


--------------------------------------------

 

Monday, August 23, 2004, Paris, France, Europe

 

The Honorable Luis Eduardo Garzon

Mayor of the City of Bogota 

Alcaldía Mayor - City Hall 

Bogota, Colombia

 

Reference: Support for Bogota’s forthcoming Car/Free Day project

 

Dear Mr. Mayor,

 

We would respectfully like to indicate our strong support for your city’s participation in the forthcoming Car/Free Day project in September.  

 

Bogota has in recent years made a major contribution to its own citizens in terms of innovative transportation system efficiency and quality of life, and it is widely seen in professional circles around the world that an important step in this process of citizen reflection, participation and major system overhaul has in many ways been symbolized by your leading role in organizing Car/Free Days and setting the standard for cities around the world. As you now this considerable achievement was awarded the Stockholm Prize for the Environment in 2000 and the year following Bogota was selected as one of the lead city’ in the United Nations Car Free Days Programme. 

 

To give you an idea of which your lead in doing this is much appreciated internationally I would point to the following reference -- http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/bogota/bogota4-guestbook.htm  -- which brings together messages of congratulations and support received from . . . Ministers, Commissioners, transport activists, professors, cyclist groups, environmentalists, authors, international civil servants, mayors, students and citizens of all stripes... and from the European Commission, the United Nations, UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, International Energy Agency, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency, and from leaders in the field from the cities of Lima, Santiago, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Birmingham, Cambridge (Mass.), London, Oxford, Lancashire, Gothenburg, Paris, Tokyo, Brussels, Utrecht, Luxembourg, Rome, Vienna, Wuppertal, Worcestor, Los Angeles, Alameda and Davis (California), Calgary, Victoria (British Columbia), New
 Brunswick (NJ), Portland (Oregon), Washington DC, Toronto, Adelaide, Canberra, and Perth. 

 

With all these considerable people and groups behind you, Bogotá must be doing something right.  And for our part if there is anything that we can do to help in this. I hope that you and your collaborators will not hesitate to get in touch.

 

Respectfully,

 

Eric Britton

Coordinator

 

The New Mobility Agenda at http://newmobility.org 

The New Mobility Forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldTransport/

 

The Commons: Open Society Sustainability Initiative 

Le Frene, 8/10 rue Joseph Bara, 75006 Paris, France

Tel: +331 4326 1323         Mobile: +336 8096 7879

24 hour Fax/Voicemail hotline: +33 (1) 53 01 28 96

IP Videoconference: 81.65.50.63

Email: postmaster at ecoplan.org    

 

  



Carlos F. Pardo V.
Pardinus Research
pardinus at yahoo.com



		
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