Get Your Weekly Digest

Receive the best podcast summaries and insights delivered to your inbox every week.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

TED Talks Daily

Sunday Pick: Mexico City | Far Flung

with Jorge Canes, Gabriela Gomez-Mont

Published September 22, 2025
View Show Notes

About This Episode

TED Talks Daily shares an episode of the TED Audio Collective podcast Far Flung, hosted by Salim Reshemwala, that explores how Mexico City channels the creativity of its 21 million residents. Through interviews with pedestrian activist-turned-public-servant Jorge Canes (a.k.a. Peatonito) and former head of the Laboratorio para la Ciudad, Gabriela Gomez-Mont, the episode shows how citizens and government collaborate to improve pedestrian safety, map chaotic bus routes, crowdsource a city constitution, and create play streets for children. The conversation highlights how viewing crowds as sources of imagination and talent can transform a megalopolis' approach to governance and public space.

Topics Covered

Urban design and culture Latin America Travel and tourism Community building Sense of place Civic engagement Crowdsourcing Unstructured play Public transportation

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Mexico City's sheer scale-about 21 million people in its metropolitan area-makes it a living laboratory for experimenting with crowd-powered urban solutions.
  • Pedestrian activist Jorge Canes created his superhero persona Peatonito to dramatize the dangers pedestrians face and later brought that advocacy perspective inside government.
  • Journalist and artist-turned-public-servant Gabriela Gomez-Mont led the Laboratorio para la Ciudad, a "ministry of imagination" that intentionally mixed policy experts with artists and designers.
  • The Mapatón project turned bus riders into mappers, crowdsourcing route data for Mexico City's informal bus system via a game-like app.
  • Mexico City's first constitution involved a structured online petition process that allowed citizens' ideas-such as protections for LGBTQI people, people with disabilities, and green space guarantees-to reach top drafters.
  • The Peeto Niños program temporarily closed streets for children's play, revealing how many kids lived in neighborhoods and how invisible they can be in traditional policy thinking.
  • Gabriela argues that averages, like overall green space per capita, can be "tyrannical" because they hide deep local inequalities in access.
  • Both guests emphasize that governments should not only provide services and manage complaints but also actively orchestrate and harness citizen talent.
  • The episode reframes a megalopolis' crowds as 21 million minds to learn from rather than just 21 million mouths to feed.

Podcast Notes

TED Talks Daily Sunday Pick introduction and framing

Elise Hu introduces the Sunday Pick concept

Elise greets listeners and identifies the show as TED Talks Daily[2:22]
• She says, "Happy Sunday, TED Talks Daily listeners. I'm Elise Hu."
Sunday Pick explains sharing episodes from other TED Audio Collective podcasts[2:31]
• Elise explains that on Sundays they share an episode of another podcast from the TED Audio Collective, selected for TED Talks Daily listeners.

Connection to National Hispanic Heritage Month and Latin American roots

Elise notes it's National Hispanic Heritage Month in the US[2:34]
• She says many people use this period to celebrate their roots across Latin America.
Mexico City chosen as the featured place[2:57]
• Elise describes Mexico City as a city known around the world for its art, food, and history.
• She emphasizes that it is also one of the largest cities in the entire world.
Framing Mexico City as a model of harnessing megalopolis creativity[2:53]
• Elise notes that harnessing the creativity of a megalopolis isn't easy, but says Mexico City shows how it's done.

Introducing the Far Flung episode and what listeners will hear

Elise introduces Far Flung and its host[3:02]
• She says that in this episode of Far Flung, host Salim Reshemwala takes listeners on a wild journey through Mexico City's sights, sounds, and rich history.
Preview of stories in the Mexico City episode[2:57]
• Elise previews a "real-life superhero" who dons a luchador mask and cape to protect residents from speeding cars.
• She mentions citizens hacking their way to a better public transport system.
• She also notes listeners will hear what it takes to crowdsource a constitution from a city with 21 million hearts and minds.
Encouragement to check out more Far Flung and TED podcasts[3:31]
• Elise invites listeners to hear more ideas by listening to Far Flung wherever they get their podcasts and to learn about TED podcasts at audiocollective.ted.com.

Far Flung: Introduction to Mexico City and core question

Opening with Jorge Canes and hint of his superhero message

Salim introduces a voice identified as Jorge Canes[6:23]
• Jorge is introduced with a mention that he had an idea to communicate a message strongly enough to put on a literal cape.

Far Flung concept and Mexico City as this episode's focus

Salim introduces himself and the show[6:30]
• He says, "I'm Salim Rashamwala. And from Ted, this is Far Flung."
Far Flung's premise[6:33]
• Salim explains that in each episode, they visit a different place around the world to understand ideas that flow from there.

Describing Mexico City's scale, density, and layered history

Multiple voices describe the city as huge, compact, and full of surprises[6:56]
• People describe Mexico City as a very diverse city, with a lot of density, while also being very open.
Gabriela Gomez-Mont explains Mexico City's size and superlatives[7:14]
• Gabriela notes that Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere, with 21 million people in the metropolitan area.
• She says everything in Mexico City is in superlatives and mentions it was once called the "City of Palaces" when Spaniards arrived.
• She describes its earlier incarnation as a floating, magical space that seemed too good to be true.
Mexico City as a palimpsest of different eras[7:31]
• Gabriela says the city contains traces of every city it has been over the years: pyramids, colonial architecture, and an incredibly contemporary Mexico.

Gabriela's background and creation of the Lab for the City

Gabriela receives a "wildest offer" to design a new city department[7:52]
• She says she had been a journalist, visual artist, and documentary filmmaker before being offered a blank slate to propose any type of city department she could envision.
Founding Laboratorio para la Ciudad[8:02]
• Gabriela proposed and became head of Laboratorio para la Ciudad, translated as the laboratory for the city.
Core question of the episode[8:22]
• Salim frames Gabriela as a perfect example of how citizens in Mexico City have found ways to channel the imagination of massive crowds.
• He states the big question: how might a city's thinking about crowds change when artists and creatives get involved in government directly?

Pedestrian safety and the birth of Peatonito

Walking in Mexico City as an "extreme sport"

Jorge describes pedestrian dangers[9:19]
• Jorge says walking in Mexico City is almost like an extreme sport where one has to be careful at every corner.
• He cites that four people die every day in the streets of Mexico City due to road crashes, and two of those four are pedestrians.
Critique of car-centric urban design[9:09]
• Jorge argues that cities have been built for cars rather than people, which he says is not good for anyone.
• He advocates that cities must be built for pedestrians first.

From pedestrian activism to superhero persona

Early activism repainting street infrastructure[9:39]
• Jorge was involved in pedestrian advocacy groups that painted crosswalks and bike lanes without government permission.
Inspiration from Lucha Libre to become a vigilante[9:30]
• After going to the Lucha Libre wrestling arena, Jorge thought about buying a mask and cape and going out to the streets as a vigilante of pedestrians.
Creation of the Peatonito costume[9:48]
• Initially he used a normal mask bought outside the wrestling arena.
• He then asked his brother to design a mask with a crosswalk and a pedestrian symbol.
• His grandmother made his cape with black and white pedestrian stripes.

Everyday actions of Peatonito in the streets

Helping vulnerable pedestrians cross[11:17]
• As Peatonito, Jorge goes out and helps pedestrians cross the street, focusing on older people and people with disabilities.
DIY street design: painting and reclaiming space[11:17]
• He paints pedestrian crosswalks, sidewalks, and bike lanes.
Direct confrontation with cars blocking pedestrian space[11:31]
• He pushes cars that block pedestrian crosswalks, pushing them backwards.
• He walks on top of cars that are parked on sidewalks, even though his mother tells him not to do this anymore.
• He explains that walking on top of cars is meant to transmit the message that sidewalks are pedestrian spaces where cars are not welcome.
Meaning of the name Peatonito[11:59]
• Salim notes that Peatonito means "little pedestrian" and calls it a cute name for a luchador who helps pedestrians.

Transition from activist superhero to government employee

Joining government after activism[12:11]
• Jorge says that in addition to guarding the streets, Peatonito joined the government.
• He recalls thinking he would have power and some budget, but learned quickly that in government there is often neither, and one has to figure out how to make things happen on their own.
How government work changed his perspective[12:34]
• Jorge says working in government made him more humble.
• He contrasts being an advocate-always shouting at and criticizing government-with being inside government and having to take decisions, which he emphasizes is not easy.
• He suggests that every advocate should work in government at least once to understand the interaction between government and citizens.

Laboratorio para la Ciudad: a "ministry of imagination"

Team structure and interdisciplinary approach

Composition of the lab team[13:20]
• Gabriela explains that at Laboratorio para la Ciudad she had a team of 20 people.
• Half the team came from urban and political sciences (urban geographers, political scientists, social scientists, data experts).
• The other half came from humanities and creative fields: artists, designers, filmmakers, historians, philosophers, writers, activists.
• She notes that everything they did sat in between these disciplines.

Mission: tapping citizen talent and bridging civil society with government

Recognizing a "palpable paradox" in the city[13:47]
• Gabriela describes a huge loss of potential when government cannot tap into citizen talent, a paradox she sees as the essence of Mexico City and present worldwide.
Using provocations to guide research agendas[14:08]
• After the lab's inception, they defined their first "provocations"-questions that led to entire research agendas and experimental projects.

The importance of language, narrative, and being a "strange attractor"

Salim asks about terms like "provocations" and "ministry of imagination"[14:36]
• He notes that "first provocations" is unusual language for a government project and mentions hearing the lab referred to as a "ministry of imagination."
• He asks why Gabriela is so engaged in language around imagination and provocation instead of normal policy terms.
Language as an entry point to reframing conversations[14:44]
• Gabriela says language was an entry point to different ways of framing conversations.
• One of their main missions was to become a "strange attractor" to civil society-creating a space that fascinated people outside government.
• She reflects that if they failed to attract civil society, everything would have imploded, given the historic and entrenched battle between civil society and government.
Painting a vision people want to see[15:16]
• Gabriela says you must paint a vision that people want to see; narrative and language were integral for many projects, including Mapatón.

Mapatón: Crowdsourcing Mexico City's informal bus system

Problem: an unmapped and chaotic bus system

Description of peceros[18:48]
• Gabriela describes peceros as clunky-looking, metallic white and green vehicles, with more than 30,000 of them across the city.
• She calls them a world of their own, emphasizing their ubiquity and informality.
Lack of centralized route information[18:38]
• Gabriela explains that nobody really knew what was happening on the ground with the bus system.
• The only way to figure out a route was to ask several people, then average their answers or judge who seemed most trustworthy.
• She notes there was no bus map whatsoever.

Designing a civic tech solution powered by riders

Assembling a diverse team to tackle the problem[18:29]
• The lab assembled a diverse team to figure out how to give citizens accurate, up-to-date information on chaotic bus routes.
Seeing community as the city's "superpower"[18:42]
• Gabriela calls the community the superpower of Mexico City and asks how to bring people in to help solve the mapping challenge.
Call to citizens and the creation of Mapatón[18:48]
• They put out a call asking Mexico City citizens to help map the bus system.
• Rather than create a traditional map that would take years and lots of money, the lab created an app, Mapatón, that turned mapping into a citywide game.
• Salim compares it to Pokemon Go, but one that actually helps users get somewhere.

Game mechanics and impact of Mapatón

Scoring and incentive structure[19:30]
• Whenever a user mapped a route from point A to point B, they received points.
• The app used a smart algorithm to give more points for longer routes and built an incentive system to encourage mapping of many and especially the toughest routes.
Outcome: first map of the bus system[19:44]
• Gabriela says that thanks to very passionate people, Mexico City was able to have its first attempt at a map of the bus system.
Power of narratives that people want to join[19:47]
• She concludes that when you create a narrative that people want to be part of, people will come.

Crowdsourcing Mexico City's first constitution

Background: Mexico City's new status and need for a constitution

Unique situation of Mexico City as a federal district[20:22]
• Gabriela notes that Mexico City used to be a federal district, neither city nor state, with limited autonomy and no representation in the national congress.
Transition to a new governmental form[20:39]
• As the city's governmental form changed, it gained the right to a constitution.
• This meant a constitution needed to be written from scratch.

Role of "notables" and the lab in public participation

28 notables drafting the first version[20:55]
• Gabriela explains that the mayor and people from other political parties assembled a team of 28 "notables" from different walks of life to draft the first version.
• The mayor would then hand this draft to the constitutional congress.
Challenge: ensuring citizens believed in and owned the constitution[21:07]
• Salim explains that for a constitution to matter, people must believe in it and feel it is theirs, not just a paper from above.
Lab's mandate: bring citizens into the process[21:30]
• The lab was tasked with creating a way to get more people involved in the constitutional process.

Structured online petitions and citizen ideas

Setting up an online forum with rules[21:31]
• They set up an online forum but recognized that a constitution could not simply be written through website comments, so rules were added.
Petition system and thresholds for influence[21:51]
• Citizens with ideas important enough for the constitution had to create petitions and gather support.
• Petitions with substantial support allowed proponents to present to the 28 notables and even to the mayor.
Types of citizen-proposed ideas[21:57]
• Some ideas were broad, like ensuring inclusion of LGBTQI rights and rights for people with disabilities.
• Other ideas were more specific, such as guaranteeing a minimum amount of green space per resident.
Underlying principle: right to the city[22:24]
• Gabriela frames the process around the idea that everyone has the right to the city.

Children, green space, and the Peeto Niños street play program

Recognizing children as a massive yet invisible population

Scale of the child population[22:38]
• Gabriela states that Mexico City has almost 5 million children at the metropolitan level.
• She compares that number to the population of Finland, calling it a "whole Finland" just of kids.
• She says children have never been properly addressed in policy.

Tyranny of averages and unequal access to green space

Averages can be tyrannical[23:02]
• Gabriela recalls the phrase "averages can be tyrannical" when discussing green space distribution.
• She says that on average Mexico City has a lot of green space, but most parks are in the center, leaving large areas with very little.
• As a result, many of the five million children lack nearby places to play.

Design and implementation of Peeto Niños

Origin and purpose of the program[22:45]
• Gabriela describes Peeto Niños as one of their small projects that became very dear to everyone.
• The idea was simple: close streets to create outdoor play areas for families in neighborhoods lacking safe play spaces.
Focus on neighborhoods most in need[23:43]
• She notes that neighborhoods most in need of community bonds and face-to-face contact are often the most dangerous areas.
• They asked whether they could run a small experiment drawing on 1970s best practices of regularly closing streets.
How the play streets operated[23:37]
• On Sundays, with community support, they would close streets to cars.
• Gabriela likens their role to a Pied Piper, saying children would start coming out from everywhere.
Community reactions and revelation of hidden children[24:08]
• A frequent comment from residents was, "I had no idea that there were so many kids here."
• Gabriela ties this to the invisibility of children on a policy level, despite their numbers.

Reimagining Mexico City as a city of children and communities

Children are not just the future; they are the city now[24:30]
• Gabriela insists that children are not the future of Mexico City; they are Mexico City.
Need to reimagine governmental role and community activation[24:38]
• She argues that government needs to reimagine its role, the language it uses, and how it activates the city and its communities.
• She reiterates that community is a superpower and that many issues can be readdressed when communities are activated.

Lessons for other megalopolises and reframing crowds

Advice to other overcrowded cities

Question about what Mexico City can teach other megacities[24:57]
• Salim asks what lessons Mexico City can teach other megalopolises struggling with overcrowding, and what advice Gabriela would give.
Making data speak differently and overcoming anonymity[25:14]
• Gabriela says much of the lab's work involved taking Excel sheets and making them speak in different ways.
• She notes that in a megalopolis it's easy to become an anonymous mass, but the inverse-unleashing civic energy-is also possible.
Government as orchestrator of citizen talent[25:49]
• Gabriela argues that government should not only provide services, respond to complaints, and keep peace, but also orchestrate citizen talent.
• She believes there is immense wealth of resources in big cities that, when seen differently, can match the scale of their challenges.

Legacy of the lab and reframing how we see crowds

Lab's closure and ongoing influence[25:58]
• Salim notes that although the lab did not survive the most recent change in city government, many of Gabriela's team members still work in government.
• These former lab members are continuing its ideas in Mexico City and internationally.
Key reframing: from mouths to minds[27:44]
• Salim summarizes that a big part of Gabriela's work was to reframe how people see crowds.
• He recalls her saying that you can view Mexico City as 21 million mouths to feed or 21 million minds to learn from, and toasts "Here's to minds."

Personalized superheroes and community ownership

Peatonito's advice on localizing civic superheroes

Importance of tailoring the persona to local culture[26:56]
• Jorge mentions a friend in São Paulo who created his own superhero costume, Superando, with Brazilian colors.
• He says such a costume is better suited for Brazil, implying that each context requires its own symbols.
Creating a community-specific superhero identity[27:18]
• Jorge says it depends where you go and how people react to your costume and activity.
• Salim summarizes that you basically have to make your community superhero for your community, and Jorge agrees.

Credits and production details

Production team and roles

Producers, editors, and sound design[28:30]
• Salim credits producers, editors, and sound designers by name, including the mixer and sound designer.
Executive production and fact-checking[28:21]
• He notes that the executive producer and fact checker are credited for their roles on the episode.

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Viewing crowds as a source of talent and imagination rather than just a management problem allows governments and organizations to unlock powerful, scalable solutions to complex challenges.

Reflection Questions:

  • • When I look at the large groups around me (customers, residents, employees), do I intuitively see problems to manage or potential minds to learn from?
  • • How could I redesign one current project to actively harness the ideas and energy of the broader community instead of keeping decisions centralized?
  • • What is one concrete mechanism (a survey, a challenge, a petition process, a mapping exercise) I could launch this month to tap into the collective intelligence of the people I serve or work with?
2

Language and narrative framing are strategic tools: how you name projects and describe goals can attract participation, shift mindsets, and change adversarial relationships into collaborative ones.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in my work or life am I using dry, technical language that might be discouraging people from engaging with my ideas?
  • • How might reframing one initiative I'm leading-with a more inspiring name or story-change who feels invited to participate?
  • • What is one current conflict or tense relationship where a shift in narrative (from "us vs. them" to "shared project") could open the door to collaboration, and how could I start that shift?
3

Direct experience on both sides of a system-like being both an activist and a public servant-builds humility and leads to more realistic, effective strategies for change.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which systems or institutions do I criticize most, and how well do I actually understand the constraints and trade-offs of the people inside them?
  • • How could I temporarily step into the perspective of those I usually oppose (through a project, a visit, or a role) to gain a more balanced view?
  • • What is one action I can take this quarter to engage more deeply with the "other side" of an issue I care about, so my efforts become more constructive and informed?
4

Designing for the most vulnerable and overlooked groups-like pedestrians or children without nearby green space-often reveals structural blind spots and leads to improvements that benefit everyone.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Who in my environment (company, neighborhood, product user base) is most affected by current shortcomings but least visible in decision-making?
  • • If I reimagined one key decision or design choice specifically around the needs of that overlooked group, what might change?
  • • What is one small pilot (a test event, a redesign, a policy tweak) I could run to center the experience of a vulnerable group and learn from the results?
5

Turning civic or organizational tasks into engaging, game-like challenges with clear feedback and rewards can dramatically increase participation and data quality.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where am I currently asking people to do something important (fill out forms, attend meetings, report issues) that feels boring or burdensome to them?
  • • How could I introduce elements of play, competition, or visible progress into one process to make participation feel rewarding rather than obligatory?
  • • What is one metric or behavior I want more of that I could start tracking publicly and incentivizing in a simple, game-like way over the next month?

Episode Summary - Notes by Finley

Sunday Pick: Mexico City | Far Flung
0:00 0:00