Gil (Guillermo) Penalosa, MBA

Executive Director

Gil Penalosa is passionate about cities for all people, regardless of social, economic or ethnic background. Gil advises decision makers and communities on how to create vibrant cities and healthy communities for all: from 8 to 80 years old. His focus is the design and use of parks and streets as great public places, as well as on sustainable mobility. Because of his unique blend of pragmatism and passion, Gil’s leadership and advice is sought out by many cities and organizations. As Executive Director of the Canadian non-profit organization 8-80 Cities for the past six years, Gil has worked in over 130 different cities in all continents.

As former Commissioner of Parks, Sport and Recreation for the City of Bogotá, Colombia, Gil successfully led the design and development of over 200 parks of which Simón Bolívar, a 360 hectare park in the heart of the city is the best known; here he created the Summer Festival, with over 100 events in 10 days and more than 3 million people attending, making it the main annual recreational and cultural event in the country. Gil’s team also initiated the “new Ciclovia”— a program which sees over 1 million people walk, run, skate and bike along 121 kilometers of Bogotá’s city roads every Sunday, and today it’s internationally recognized and emulated.

Gil also works as Senior Consultant for the renowned Danish firm Gehl Architects. He serves on the Board of Directors of City Parks Alliance, USA, and is a Senior Advisor to StreetFilms in NYC, American Trails, Casas GEO Mexico, and America Walks. Gil holds an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, where he recently was selected as one of the “100 Most Inspirational Alumni” in the school’s history. In 2013 he received the Queen Elizabeth II - Diamond Jubilee Medal, given by the Governor General of Canada, adding up to earlier recognitions like the Medal of High Honour from the Colombian Ministry of Education, the Kirk French Spirit Award for Excellence from the City of Mississauga, Canada, the 2011 Urban Innovator Award by Guadalajara 2020 Mexico, and “Top 10 Most Influential Hispanic – Canadians” in 2012. Gil has also contributed chapters to three books: Enabling Cycling Cities: Ingredients for Success – CIVITAS, Europe; Facilities for Cyclists – Copenhagen, Denmark; Resilient Sustainable Cities, Melbourne, Australia.

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Amanda O’Rourke, BSc.H, MSc.Pl

Director of Policy and Planning

Amanda is a graduate of Queen’s University (Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology) and holds her Master’s of Science in Planning from the University of Toronto. Prior to joining the 8-80 Cities team Amanda worked in the NGO sector on various environmental planning projects in both Halifax and Toronto.

Amanda’s work has focused on improving the quality of life and sustainability in cities by empowering local communities with the tools and knowledge to advocate for enhanced public green spaces and safe and accessible walking and cycling infrastructure.

Currently the Director of Policy and Planning at 8-80 Cities, she has worked on several local and international projects including: Community action plan projects in 36 Ontario communities; the Guadalajara Metropolitan Park Master Plan; the Bicycle Master Plan for the City of León, Mexico; and the Non-Motorized Mobility Master Plan for the Metropolitan Zone of Guadalajara.

Amanda grew up in both Canada and the United States and now lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys discovering new things about her home city and exploring other cities around the world by foot and by bicycle.

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Emily Munroe BA, Int’l PMC

Director of Partnerships and Programs

Emily’s experience growing up on a small rural island in Ontario is not an obvious stepping stone to a career in urban issues. However, after completing a Bachelor of Arts in International Development at McGill University in Montreal, and visiting and working in cities around the world such as Bangkok, Tokyo, Delhi and Hamburg, Emily developed a deep interest in community development and urban issues.

After returning to school to complete an acclaimed Graduate program in International Project Management at Humber College in Toronto, Emily joined the 8-80 Cities team. As Director of Programs and Partnerships, Emily is always excited to develop meaningful relationships with partners and to design impactful community-based programs to create more people friendly cities.

Trained in facilitation and participatory community assessments, Emily is passionate about authentically engaging people in the process of community development and urban design.

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Camila Uriona BA, Communications

Administrative and Communications Manager

Camila holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Catholic University in La Paz, Bolivia. She also has a Diploma in Philosophy and Art History from the University of San Andres in La Paz.

Camila is driven and passionate, willing to go wherever needed at any time. She has an outstanding sensitivity with people and is committed to the environment and nature. While working as a Strategic Planner for a marketing agency,Camila developed a special interest and expertise in market research oriented to consumers’ attitudes.

She brings creativity and enthusiasm to each aspect of her life which allows her to enjoy every day tasks at work and home.

She lives in Mississauga, Ontario, and loves to take long walks as a part of a general routine of being healthy.

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Alyssa Bird, M.Sc.Pl

Project Manager

Alyssa holds a Bachelors Degree in environmental studies from Carleton University and will be graduating from the University of Toronto’s Program in Planning in the Spring of 2013. She joined the 8-80 Cities team after finding inspiration from the people-focused approach that 8-80 Cities brings to urban projects locally and abroad.

At 8-80 Cities, Alyssa is developing skills to diagnose under-utilized public spaces and in turn carry out effective place-making strategies in collaboration with community stakeholders. Alyssa is passionate about building a stronger relationship between the fields of planning and public health and sees the development of great parks, streets and public spaces as places to do so.

In her planning studies, Alyssa specializes in social planning with a particular interest in building healthy communities. Outside of school Alyssa is an avid runner, enjoys various other outdoor activities in all seasons and finds delight in planning adventures locally and outside of Toronto.

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Liliana Diaz

Accounting Clerk and Payroll Administrator

Liliana brings over 8 years of work experience in General Accounting, Financial Planning and Reporting. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and a specialty in tax preparation, Liliana has had the chance to participate in diverse projects and initiatives in different companies from a variety of sectors in both Canada and Mexico.

Distinguished by her organizational skills and strong computer knowledge, her versatility allows her to manage different activities within 8-80 Cities: Regular payroll duties, design and implementation of internal controls for accounting, attend regulatory audits, and actively participate in financial planning. Liliana is currently working towards a CMA (Certified Management Accountants).

With dancing, music and choreography as her main hobbies, Liliana also enjoys outdoor activities, such as walking and exploring the multiple open spaces that the city of Toronto has to offer. Liliana also loves to camp and connect with nature near all of the beautiful lakes that are nearby.