Plenary 2 - Open Streets: reviving local democracy & building healthier cities for all

Seble Samuel is an Ethiopian-Canadian geographer and climate justice advocate. She is a co-founder and organizer of Menged Le Sew, a SLOCAT Young Leader in Sustainable Transport, and one of TUMI’s Remarkable Women in Transport 2020. Her experience spans East Africa, Latin America and Canada, working with international institutions and civil society organizations on climate justice, multimedia communications and socio-ecological resilience. Based in Addis Ababa, she currently works for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. Seble is the Sustainability and Environment Lead of the Global Shapers Addis Ababa Hub, where she co-leads a campaign to ban single-use plastics across Ethiopia, and a mentor for Africa's inaugural Women4Climate Mentorship Program in Addis Ababa. Seble holds a BA in Geography and Anthropology from McGill University and an MSc in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford.

Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, and having spent more than a decade in Africa, Marcela is passionate about cities, public space and most importantly, people. This motivated her to establish and lead a foundation in South Africa called Open Streets Cape Town (OSCT), which has inspired similar initiatives in other African cities. Marcela moved to Johannesburg in 2006 and worked in Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Kenya before moving permanently to Cape Town in 2011. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Council on Mobility. Marcela holds a Masters in Public Administration and International Affairs from Syracuse University and has worked in policy and advocacy for over a decade.

Sarika is Associate Director in Nagarro and founder Trustee of Raahgiri Foundation. Sarika is leading the Raahgiri Day movement in Haryana. She  is also helping other cities to replicate this hugely successful concept. Sarika is also leading the non-motorised transport work and India Vision Zero work in Haryana and Punjab. Sarika has about 15 years of experience in the field of urban developments, transport, environment and architecture. Sarika was selected as one of the 60 global women leaders in the world who are making a change in how we move in our cities. The recognition came from TUMI, Germany. Last month, Sarika was selected as the bicycle mayor of Gurugram by BYCS, Netherlands. Sarika has been formally trained as an architect and urban planner. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a Master’s degree in Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Sarika also has a Master’s degree in Sociology.

Amanda O’Rourke is the Executive Director of 8 80 Cities. She has held several positions within the organization and was instrumental in developing the 8 80 City concept. Over 13 years she has supported the successful growth of the non-profit through strategic planning, partnership development, and team building. Amanda has worked on diverse public space projects in cities and towns across North America, Europe, and Australia. She enjoys working collaboratively with city governments and community partners to make it easier for people to walk, bike, take transit, and build connection and sense of belonging in public space. Amanda is a sought after speaker, advisor, and thought leader on age-friendly mobility and public space and inclusive participatory approaches to city building. She is a life-long learner, abundance-thinker, and has the perfect job to feed her insatiable curiosity about people and place. She is a 2017 Salzburg Global Fellow and Co-Chair of the Children, Play and Nature Committee for World Urban Parks.