Presentations & Workshops: Testimonials
"Gil, I want to give you a big thanks for your amazing talk. The crowd was really excited -- and this is a pretty critical crowd when it comes to this kind of thing. You were worried about offending people, but I think it was a huge relief for people to hear that they still have work to do. Plus everyone loved all the slides of well dressed ladies on bikes!"
Elly Blue
Director, Towards CarFree Cities VII -
International Conference, Portland
2008
Elly Blue
Director, Towards CarFree Cities VII -
International Conference, Portland
2008
"Your presentation on the role of walking and cycling in the transportation mix was exceptional. Your ability to articulate the importance of active transportation and its many benefits captivated our audience for over an hour. This is clearly one of the most important yet undervalued components of sustainable transportation that we cannot afford to overlook. Your enthusiasm and passion is contagious and I hope that this experience will change the outlook of the transit professionals in attendance for many years to come."
Michael W. Roschlau
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Urban Transit Association
"God bless you for all the hard work you are doing and your persistence in getting the message out. You are achieving great results!
Tony Genco
President and CEO
Parc Downsview Park Inc, Ontario, Canada
"Part of the solution in dealing with air quality problems, climate change, and the obesity epidemic is to design neighborhoods around active forms of transportation, such as walking and bicycling. Gil clearly understands this concept and gives a passionate, inspired presentation on the importance of community design to support active transportation. His stories and pictures superbly illustrate his message."
Dr. Bob Nosal
Medical Officer of Health
Halton Region, Ontario, Canada
"(Gil) We can't thank you enough for being our Closing Keynote! Your talk was the perfect capstone to a very successful Symposium! It couldn't have been better! I have heard rave reviews. I heard one person say it was the best presentation they had ever heard. Several people commented that your presentation should have been at the beginning of the Symposium so they could have discussed your ideas during it."
Pam Gluck
Executive Director
American Trails
"For me, and for many other folks, Gil's remarks were a great inspiration (keynote speaker). Many times since, I have made reference to one or another of his comments... the theme of our conference -- Making Connections -- and Gil did just that, with virtually every person in the audience."
Bill Wilkinson,
Executive Director
National Center for Bicycling and Walking
Washington, D.C., USA
"Gil is a forceful, passionate speaker about places that create happiness and community well-being. He is articulate as well as knowledgeable; he can put these issues into terms that a politician, lay-person, designer, transportation planner or community center manager can see the benefits these issues can bring to their community."
Fred Kent
President
Project for Public Spaces - NYC, USA
"The presentation of Gil Penalosa has given ISCA members inspiration for how public spaces can be developed and used for the greater good and improvement of civil society."
Anders Bülow
President International Sport & Culture Association
Copenhagen, Denmark
"Gil Penalosa brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and passion to the urban parks movement. He challenges us all to work together through partnerships and alliances so that parks and greenways are recognized as a critical component of healthy and vibrant cities."
Catherine Nagel
Executive Director
City Parks Alliance National Association for Olmsted Parks
Washington, D.C., USA
"Gil: Your broad experience, clear-eyed analysis, infectious enthusiasm and amazing accomplishments make you a "global treasure" in the urban parks movement. Keep up your great work!"
Peter Harnik
Director Center for City Park Excellence -
Washington, D.C., USA
Conference Feedback:
Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA):
National Parks & Recreation Conference 2007
Ottawa, Ontario. September, 2007
Title - Creating Great Cities: Trails & Parks, Walking & Cycling
Gil Penalosa
Evaluation by participants: 4.9 of a possible 5.0
Session Comments: Excellent presentation. - Great presentation. Excellent speaker! - Passionate presenter. Needs to be a key note speaker. - This was the best workshop that I attended. - Great ideas! Inspirational speaker.
_____________________
NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION (NRPA-USA):
2007 CONGRESS AND EXPOSITION, Indianapolis, Indiana. September
SESSION DETAILS
POWER SESSION:
Parks and Trails, Walking and Bicycling: Creating Great Cities
Speaker evaluation: 6.53 of a possible 7; Top 8% amongst 293 speakers
RESPONDENT COMMENTS
Well done session, inspiring, thanks. - Excellent, great energy and topic. Thank you! Fantastic. Outstanding. Great! - Probably the best session I have attended in the last 10 years. I am a 30+ year professional in parks and found your presentation to be inspirational.
Michael W. Roschlau
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Urban Transit Association
"God bless you for all the hard work you are doing and your persistence in getting the message out. You are achieving great results!
Tony Genco
President and CEO
Parc Downsview Park Inc, Ontario, Canada
"Part of the solution in dealing with air quality problems, climate change, and the obesity epidemic is to design neighborhoods around active forms of transportation, such as walking and bicycling. Gil clearly understands this concept and gives a passionate, inspired presentation on the importance of community design to support active transportation. His stories and pictures superbly illustrate his message."
Dr. Bob Nosal
Medical Officer of Health
Halton Region, Ontario, Canada
"(Gil) We can't thank you enough for being our Closing Keynote! Your talk was the perfect capstone to a very successful Symposium! It couldn't have been better! I have heard rave reviews. I heard one person say it was the best presentation they had ever heard. Several people commented that your presentation should have been at the beginning of the Symposium so they could have discussed your ideas during it."
Pam Gluck
Executive Director
American Trails
"For me, and for many other folks, Gil's remarks were a great inspiration (keynote speaker). Many times since, I have made reference to one or another of his comments... the theme of our conference -- Making Connections -- and Gil did just that, with virtually every person in the audience."
Bill Wilkinson,
Executive Director
National Center for Bicycling and Walking
Washington, D.C., USA
"Gil is a forceful, passionate speaker about places that create happiness and community well-being. He is articulate as well as knowledgeable; he can put these issues into terms that a politician, lay-person, designer, transportation planner or community center manager can see the benefits these issues can bring to their community."
Fred Kent
President
Project for Public Spaces - NYC, USA
"The presentation of Gil Penalosa has given ISCA members inspiration for how public spaces can be developed and used for the greater good and improvement of civil society."
Anders Bülow
President International Sport & Culture Association
Copenhagen, Denmark
"Gil Penalosa brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and passion to the urban parks movement. He challenges us all to work together through partnerships and alliances so that parks and greenways are recognized as a critical component of healthy and vibrant cities."
Catherine Nagel
Executive Director
City Parks Alliance National Association for Olmsted Parks
Washington, D.C., USA
"Gil: Your broad experience, clear-eyed analysis, infectious enthusiasm and amazing accomplishments make you a "global treasure" in the urban parks movement. Keep up your great work!"
Peter Harnik
Director Center for City Park Excellence -
Washington, D.C., USA
Conference Feedback:
Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA):
National Parks & Recreation Conference 2007
Ottawa, Ontario. September, 2007
Title - Creating Great Cities: Trails & Parks, Walking & Cycling
Gil Penalosa
Evaluation by participants: 4.9 of a possible 5.0
Session Comments: Excellent presentation. - Great presentation. Excellent speaker! - Passionate presenter. Needs to be a key note speaker. - This was the best workshop that I attended. - Great ideas! Inspirational speaker.
_____________________
NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION (NRPA-USA):
2007 CONGRESS AND EXPOSITION, Indianapolis, Indiana. September
SESSION DETAILS
POWER SESSION:
Parks and Trails, Walking and Bicycling: Creating Great Cities
Speaker evaluation: 6.53 of a possible 7; Top 8% amongst 293 speakers
RESPONDENT COMMENTS
Well done session, inspiring, thanks. - Excellent, great energy and topic. Thank you! Fantastic. Outstanding. Great! - Probably the best session I have attended in the last 10 years. I am a 30+ year professional in parks and found your presentation to be inspirational.