Gil (Guillermo) Peñalosa is the founder and chair of the Canadian non-profit organization 8 80 Cities. He is also Ambassador of World Urban Parks. Gil is passionate about creating equitable and sustainable cities, where all people can live healthier and happier. He has worked in over 350 different cities, in all continents. Before immigrating to Canada, Gil was Commissioner in Bogota, where he led the construction of over 200 parks and 100 kilometers of Open Streets. Gil is in Planetizen's Top 50 Most Influential Urbanists and recently received in Australia the World Urban Parks Distinguished Individual Award. He holds an MBA from UCLA, and a PhDhc from SLU's Urban Planning, Sweden.