Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 12h

Seagrasses.
A ‘Secret Weapon’ for Fighting Climate Change.
Capturing carbon 35 times faster than the Amazon.
Sadly, a football field’s worth of seagrasses disappears every second.
Restoration projects as in Virginia and Nova Scotia are bringing hope.
J. Cole, Reasons to be cheerful.
bit.ly/3W3WR4O

1 3

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 13h

Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca who eliminated speed cameras recently, now wants CCTV cameras that will be equipped with automated license plate recognition as "residents are fed up with “scumbag” criminals."

Residents also fed up with drivers killing people. 'Scumbags' speeding, braking the law.

2 5 16

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 14h

Time bomb for civilized living. Tax the very wealthy.

• ‘Over the next 3 decades $30 TRILLION dollars will be passed from boomers to the next generation.’
• 'You can have wealth concentrated on the hands of a few or you can have democracy, but you can NOT have both.'
Death & Taxes. bit.ly/42GplW3

1 1 5

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 1d

Joyful for 8 80 Cities to host Denmark’s BLOXHUB as they present new book on: The Paradox of Proximity; Preventing Urban Loneliness. Full house.

Honoured to have done a chapter alongside superb people.
Thanks Cities for Better Health for supporting project led by Ann-Britt Elvin Andersen.

6

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 1d

It was in Prof. Katharine Hayhoe's weekly Newsletter this past Saturday. <[email protected]>

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 2d

Grey to GREEN. Even parking lots. Images, Eimear Fox.

Tomorrow Tues. FREE presentation:
RETROFITTING SUBURBIA
From shopping malls, arterials... to thriving neighborhoods.
Presents Ellen Dunham-Jones
Tues. Oct. 14 at 11am EST
FREE register & share:
bit.ly/4gupstf

5

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 3d

This Tuesday FREE presentation on:
RETROFITTING SUBURBIA
Transforming shopping malls, schools, arterials... into thriving neighborhoods.
Solutions to housing crisis.
Presents Ellen Dunham-Jones

Tues. Oct. 14 at 11am EST
FREE register & share:
bit.ly/4gupstf

3 4

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 4d

We need to be honest on climate movement. We are failing.

- The temperature keeps rising.
- True problem is structural, NOT individual behavior!
- Industry has masterfully marketed individual's fault.
- Collective civic action to change policy
- Say pollution, not emissions
Prof. Katharine Hayhoe

2 57 160

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 4d

Over 30% of people do NOT drive, even in wealthiest neighborhoods.

CAR-OPTIONAL LIVING should be a HUMAN RIGHT. Everywhere. Everyone under 16, many over 16 with disabilities, others, do not drive.
SAFE walking, cycling, transit, citywide: a basic right.
bit.ly/48Zbf5T

8 23

Reposted by Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa

Katie Phang @katiephang.bsky.social · 5d

“This is a movement…This is an achievement of a whole society…I am just one person.”

The beautiful humility of Venezuelan pro-democracy leader, Maria Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

280 1.7K 5.7K

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 5d

Amazing live presentation, FREE:
RETROFITTING SUBURBIA
Shopping malls, schools, arterials... for thriving neighborhoods.
Solutions to housing crisis. Proximity.
Presents Ellen Dunham-Jones

Tues. Oct. 14 at 11am EST
FREE register & share:
bit.ly/4gupstf

4

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 6d

The Paradox of Proximity:
Addressing the LONELINESS CRISIS IN CITIES, in Canada and Beyond.

Presents: Toronto's 8 80 Cities and Copenhagen's BLOXHUB.
FREE. In person event at 401 Richmond, Toronto
Tuesday Oct. 14 • 6:30 - 8:30
Register bit.ly/3IQTc7s

4

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 6d

Data is the SAME everywhere.

Sprawl, single fam. housing: highest NEGATIVE impact on environment. Huge costs to heat / cool, cars, etc.

If you care about our planet, support DENSITY.
Remember: 5 floors next to each other = 50 floors each other block.
All new housing in existing footprint.

3 10

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 6d

Cities: build for People & Life!

It’d be amazing if this became every city’s goal!

The new Amsterdam Maakt Ruimte agenda draws a new line: 0% car growth — and a city designed to live better, not just move faster. 🌳.
Thanks for sharing Urban Cycling Inst.

1 3 26

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 10d

Suburbs can become vibrant, where anyone can walk or bike to all places, including 6 - 16 y/o... but it will not happen magically.

Ellen Dunham-Jones will present how to do it.
Solving housing crisis AND ending with great community.
FREE • Register & share:
Tues. Oct. 14 at 11am EST
bit.ly/4gupstf

3 10

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 10d

Suburbs can become vibrant, where anyone can walk or bike to all places, including 6 - 16 y/o, connecting all public, schools, libraries, parks... but it will not happen magically.

Ellen Dunham-Jones will present examples, how to do it.
Solving housing crisis AND ending with great community.
FREE.

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 11d

If you care about housing crisis and cities register FREE for live Zoom webinar. Solutions

RETROFITTING SUBURBIA for URGENT CHALLENGES. Presents top 100 Most Influential Urbanist, superb Ellen Dunham-Jones.
Register & share:
Tues. Oct. 14 at 11am EST
FREE bit.ly/4gupstf

4

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 10d

From Jane Goodall:
“Only when our clever brain and our human heart work together in harmony can we achieve our true potential.”

“If you lose hope, that's the end. Because if you don't hope, then you sink into apathy and do nothing. Hope is absolutely crucial."
Thanks for sharing, Katharine Hayhoe

1 6

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 11d

If you care about housing crisis and cities register FREE for live Zoom webinar. Solutions

RETROFITTING SUBURBIA for URGENT CHALLENGES. Presents top 100 Most Influential Urbanist, superb Ellen Dunham-Jones.
Register & share:
Tues. Oct. 14 at 11am EST
FREE bit.ly/4gupstf

4 5

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 13d

"Every single one of us, all over the world, every day we live we make some impact. And all of us can choose wisely what kind of impact we make."
Jane Goodall • RIP

9

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 13d

Back to the office Ontario?

Public & private sectors. Same as 'always'. Make it better:
• All, from home or off. work 11am to 3pm
• Start between 7 and 11 am
• End between 3 and 7 pm
Why?
• Better sleep habits
• Efficient businesses
• Less loneliness
• Economic dev.

1 2

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 13d

As years go by, we might lose a bit of sight or hearing... BUT, we gain FREEDOM. Flexibility. Leisure time.

Ran from High Park to Beaches, 15.4 Km to visit Gemma, 2 week old granddaughter! Hope to run over many more years...
Willpower + Good City = Older, Healthier, Happier.

2

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 13d

Watch & share video, FREE and interesting:
San Francisco’s Parks:
Transforming JFK Promenade and Sunset Dunes.
Presents Phil Ginsburg, Gral Mgr P&R.

From my #Cities4Everyone Webinar, this week:
From cars to people on pandemic... to always. Permanent joy!
bit.ly/4nxxnss

1 1

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 13d

Nature Exploration Areas: connecting kids to outdoor play.

To an adult, tree rounds scattered around a schoolyard may seem a little boring. But through the eyes of a child, stumps can be magical. Kids love them.
Children & Nature Network - Susan Pagani
bit.ly/4pNCWER

3

Reposted by Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 14d

From GREY to GREEN. Doable. Paris has been showing how to do it.
Not a tech or $$$ issue; it's political.
Instead of $$ for cars, wider roads, more lanes, elevated highways, greening cities.
It takes VISION & GUTS. #ElectionsMatter
Thanks superb mayor Ana María 'Anne' Hidalgo

18 60

Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 14d

Jane Goodall's discoveries from the 1960s about how chimpanzees behaved in the wild broke new ground and represented what was called “one of the Western world’s great scientific achievements.”
She was generous, kind, a magnificent person. RIP

2 7