ABSTRACT
Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, is commonly associated with civil war and violence. But in the late 1990s, the city’s reputation began to change as Mayor Enrique Peñalosa led a campaign to improve the quality of life there. School enrollments increased by 200,000 students—some 34 percent—during Peñalosa’s tenure. His administration built or totally rebuilt 1,243 parks—some small, some very large—which are now used by 1.5 million visitors annually. An effective rapid transit system, accessible to all, was planned and constructed. And the city’s murder rate fell dramatically: today, there are fewer murders per capita in Bogotá than there are in Washington, D.C. 1
