While optimistic about planned infrastructure projects in both cities, Penalosa said Mississauga and Brampton have some catching up to do in those regards.

“I think Mississauga could have been the best city in Canada... because Mississauga 40 years ago had 250,000 citizens in seven villages,” Penalosa said. “They had such a wonderful opportunity and they lost it.”

“Unfortunately, Mississauga had just a focus of cars, cars, cars, and they built a city thinking more about mobility than peoples’ happiness. It’s a city (where) the public transit is horrible, now they are trying to make it up. Most of the public facilities are really just OK,” he added.

A robust public transit system is essential, according to Penalosa, and he points to the planned Mississauga Hurontario LRT as a step in the right direction. He also applauded the city’s waterfront revitalization initiative.

“Now, they are retrofitting,” he said. “Now, they are saying ‘we’re going to do the LRT, so let’s improve the public spaces all around it.’"

Penalosa thinks Brampton — the country’s ninth-largest city — is in a slightly better position than its neighbour to the south. He described the city as being “where Mississauga was 20 years ago,” while also highlighting city council’s recent decision to return a planned LRT line to Hurontario Street.

In 2015, the previous council voted down a fully provincially funded LRT line on Hurontario through downtown, in favour of exploring alternative routes around the city’s core. Reversing that decision was one of the first major policy moves made by Brampton’s new council under Mayor Patrick Brown.

Despite ongoing delays and funding hurdles, Penalosa said he likes what he’s seeing in Brampton’s planning approach in recent years, pointing to its Downtown Reimagined and Riverwalk projects, as well as its 2040 Vision as examples.

“I think it’s great. I think it’s a really, really good idea. And I hope that this government — even though there were lots of changes in both the mayor and councillors — I hope that they endorse it and continue because there were a lot of good ideas,” he said.

Penalosa also applauded the level of citizen engagement the city has undertaken in recent years, calling that a key component in the age-friendly planning process.

The relatively recent focus on building healthier, more livable, age-friendly cities also has support from the medical community, with Peel Region’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Jessica Hopkins, promoting many of the same concepts as Penalosa.

“If you look at transit within what a complete walkable, healthy community looks like, it’s a very key component to address low physical activity rates in our population,” said Hopkins at a Brampton council meeting on Dec. 12, while emphasizing 62 per cent of Peel residents are considered either obese or overweight.

"Positive gains have been made in transit, planning, recreation, bike lanes (and) trails. So, this council has a very strong foundation upon which to build," she said, adding such assets are growing across the region.