The two largest cities in North America, New York City and Mexico City, DF, have been at the forefront of change and innovation, including transit. This webinar will discuss the challenges that both cities are facing, and what we can learn from each others’ successes and failures. ITDP CEO Heather Thompson will host a discussion with Michael Replogle, Deputy Commissioner for Policy at the New York City Department of Transportation; and Rodrigo Diaz, Secretary of Mobility of Mexico City, to share on-the-ground updates on urban transport policy during COVID, and a shared vision for the future.
Rodrigo Diaz is the Undersecretary of Planning for the Mobility Secretariat of Mexico City, and a professional architect, urban planner and blogger. Born and raised in Chile, he has been in Mexico for over a decade, where he has worked in the intersection of urban development and urban mobility policies. Previously he served as the Research and Development Director of ITDP Mexico and has broad experiences both in the public sector and NGOs, with a specialization in sustainable transportation programs and projects in Latin America.
Michael Replogle, a globally recognized expert on sustainable transportation, was appointed in 2015 as Deputy Commissioner for Policy for New York City’s Department of Transportation, where he is chief strategy advisor. He shapes the City’s Vision Zero initiatives, which have cut road traffic deaths by 25% in 5 years, and the City’s bike share system, largest in the Americas, along with City policies regarding freight and curb management, for-hire vehicles, vehicle electrification, autonomous vehicles, road pricing, regional and federal transportation, and COVID-19 recovery. He led development of the 2016 NYC DOT 5-year Strategic Plan, and agency contributions to New York City’s climate action plan and OneNYC 2050 plan.
Replogle co-founded Bikes Not Bombs in 1984 and led its successful effort to ship 10,000 recycled bikes to teachers and health workers in Nicaragua. In 1985, Replogle co-founded the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), and served as its President for more than 20 years, and later as its Managing Director for Policy. He co-founded the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transportation (SLoCaT) and served as its first board chairman. His efforts helped secured a 2012 $175 billion 10-year commitment for more sustainable transportation from the 8 largest multilateral development banks. For 17 years, Replogle was Transportation Director for the Environmental Defense Fund, promoting transportation policy reforms to improve air quality and public health in the U.S. and abroad. He guided growth management policies for Montgomery County, Maryland, from 1982-91. He holds honors degrees in civil and urban engineering and sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Heather Thompson has been with ITDP for more than a dozen years, first serving on its Board of Directors for eight years, and then as CEO since 2018. Ms. Thompson believes that bold progress needs to be made toward more walkable, cycle-friendly, and transit-accessible cities. ITDP’s work in making cities more equitable, livable and environmentally conscious changes everything for the better – for people and the planet.
Ms. Thompson has nearly two decades of experience in the environmental non-profit sector, designing and carrying out strategies with large-scale impact. She co-founded and served as VP of Programs at ClimateWorks Foundation, and was a Principal at California Environmental Associates where she led the firm’s work in philanthropic strategy. She has helped clients design and implement strategies that help our cities and natural systems increase resilience in the face of climate change, population growth and other development pressures. She has lived and worked abroad in China, the U.K., and Denmark, and holds a Master of Science in environmental economics from the University of York, U.K. and a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from the University of California, San Diego.