Gil Penalosa, Founder and Chair of 8 80 Cities, headlines the 2017 Maui Energy Conference with his keynote on The 8 80 City: Creating vibrant, healthy, and resilient communities for all.
The world urban population will double from 3.5 billion to 7.0 billion in the next 35 years. The cities we build today will be where billions of people will live for many hundreds of years. This represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to support the development of healthy, sustainable, and inclusive cities.
Amidst the challenges of population growth and shifting demographics, cities around the world are also grappling with climate change, rising obesity, traffic congestion, and a sluggish economy.
We seem to be facing a “perfect storm” of threats and challenges, but in every challenge lies opportunity. How we plan, build and cultivate a healthy city life for people of all ages, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds has never been more important than it is today.
How can we improve the quality of life for people in cities regardless of age or social status? What is the role of sustainable mobility in promoting health, happiness, and stronger local economies? Gil answers these questions while also explaining a simple and effective principle for inclusive city building: ensuring the safety and joy of children and older adults (from 8 year olds to 80 year olds) are at the forefront of every decision we make in our cities.
Drawing on his experience working with over 250 cities across 6 continents, Gil provides a holistic approach to tackling key urban challenges by focusing on both bold but doable actions any community can take to become stronger and more resilient in the face of change.
Click here for more information on the complete 2017 program.