DENVER-The Urban Land Institute returned to a classic topic as it opened its first full day of its Fall conference . . . urban design . . .by turning its attention to the layout of our older cities. The keynoter was Enrique Penalosa, former mayor of Bogata, Colombia and president of the board of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy of New York.

So what do Bogata and New York City—or Chicago or San Francisco—have in common? Plenty, said Penalosa, who is credited with turning what was a crime-haven into a pedestrian friendly city. Stating that “A $30 bicycle is as valuable as a $30,000 car,” the former mayor made the case for cities that are more “democratic. Human well-being is the measure of a successful city,” citing children and the elderly in particular.

“Public good has to prevail over private interest,” he said, pointing to the democratic gap between public and private waterfront space as an example. Wider sidewalks, more riverwalks and above-ground mass transit (read buses) will spur investment, he argued, and while he did not quote examples, he stated that the resultant influx of people and reduction in noise and traffic would draw investment dollars.

In a democratic city, he said, buses by reason of their denser ridership should command more street space than cars.

Wider sidewalks would diminish parking and encourage mass transit and subways should not be buried. “Riders of public transportation should be rewarded, not put underground,” he stated.

Of course, the timeframes and the dollars to pay for a reworking of a city such as New York remained a nebulous part of Penalosa’s prescription.