The PBS show E2 (E Squared) had a compelling look at the transformation of Bogota, Colombia during the tenure of Enrique Penalosa. It’s worth a look to see how the transformation of space can impact social behavior. Through the development of green space, libraries, public parks, and pedestrian friendly streets, Penalosa helped transform Bogota into a public city. One key thing Penalosa did was shut down major thoroughfares on Sundays for pedestrian foot traffic (see picture below)

Could you imagine this happening in an American city. What do we lose as Americans with our emphasis on automobile travel and car friendly streets? I recognize a hint of misplaced, misty nostalga in my view, but it strikes me that our spaces in the U.S. (particularly my space in Thousand Oaks, California) could stand to be rethought with an eye toward reclaiming space for the commons.