Bronwen Thornton, Development Director, Walk21
Bronwen is Development Director with Walk21, the global network leading the walking movement. She is an international expert, facilitator and trainer on walking and walkable communities, giving walking a voice on the international stage and within local communities, cities and professional arenas. She has more than 20 years experience in strategic transport planning, community and political engagement and policy and project development with a focus on equitable and sustainable transport. She aims to promote walking and to develop and deliver innovative and practical projects, resources and tools to support more walking.
Peatónito, Pedestrian Activist Superhero
Born and raised in the chaotic capital city of Mexico this masked “luchador” (wrestler) is a pedestrian activist superhero. Peatónito used to be a normal citizen with a normal job until one day he decided to fight for the rights of the walkers. This idea came to this young man when he went to the “lucha libre” arena, the Mexicans’ favourite spectacle, where the magic of the traditional wrestling matches happens. The next day he brought the fight from the arena to the streets.
The goal: to build a city for the people and not for the cars. His superpowers: pushing backwards automobiles that invade the pedestrian crosswalks, painting zebra crossings at dangerous intersections, walking across the tops of cars parked on sidewalks, helping vulnerable people to cross the street and reporting pedestrian obstacles to the authorities.
Nowadays he is an expert on the subject of walkability and acts as a social adviser to governments all around Mexico. This vigilante of the streets loves to participate in tactical urbanism interventions that he calls “walking urban guerrillas”. In addition, this fearless activist has given talks preaching the Pedestrian Revolution all around Mexico, the United States and Latin America. Besides all that, this pedestrian champion is the defence in a football team with his friends, he plays the bass guitar in a punk rock band and one day he would love to travel all around the world by bicycle.
Let’s bring it on for the Mexican walking champ and ¡Viva la Pedestrian Revolution!
Dr. Bernhard Ensink, Secretary-General, European Cyclists’ Federation & World Cycling Alliance
Bernhard Ensink has been Secretary General of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) and Velo-city Series Director since 2006. Previously he was the Director of ‘Fietsersbond’, the Dutch Cyclists’ Union from 1998 until 2006. He has been Vice Mayor of the Dutch city of Coevorden (1994-1998), responsible for public affairs, spatial planning, environment, housing and finance. Born in 1956 in Germany, he has a doctorate in theology/ethics (Netherlands, 1995).
Sarah Drummond, Co-Founder and Director of Design, CycleHack
Sarah is a serial idea generator. In 2014 she co-founded CycleHack, an initiative on a mission to reduce barriers to cycling. CycleHack brings citizens and city stakeholders together to build ideas that improve cycling over a weekend. CycleHack has successfully grown from 3 cities to over 70 in three years and continues to grow with each annual hack working with global brands like Oakley.
Sarah is the Co-founder and managing Director of Snook, an award winning design consultancy working at the forefront of civic, public sector and democratic innovation. Sarah focuses on making social change happen by re-thinking public services from a human perspective.
Natalia Lleras, Director of Research, Despacio.org
Natalia has a Master Degree in Urban Regeneration from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris La Villette. Her work focuses mainly on sustainable urban mobility and road safety. Natalia has participated on accessibility and non-motorized transport projects, road safety audits and inspections, and has been part of various research projects including a publication on the use of the bicycle in Latin America. Today, Natalia works as the Director of Research in Despacio, and coordinates the WRI-Bloomberg Road Safety project in Bogota.
