Zonas J

Project theme: Speed reduction

BY MICHELLE GAIBOR

Zona J is a youth-led program that builds on the Champions for Road Safety project to empower communities in creating safer urban and school environments. Developed by Fundación Movidana, it is implemented in 12 cities across Ecuador and uses tools like the Youth Engagement App (YEA) and mobility snapshots to diagnose road safety challenges.

Young leaders are trained to co-design interventions, engage local actors, and implement actions that reduce speed and reclaim public space. Contributing to SDGs 3, 4, and 11, Zona J promotes civic engagement, transforms public spaces, and drives long-term policy change for safer, more inclusive cities.

ABOUT THE PROJECT LEAD

MICHELLE GAIBOR

Michelle Gaibor was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 2000, and she is a political scientist and project coordinator at Fundación Movidana. She has specialised in road safety, youth leadership, and public policy. She has collaborated with the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety since 2022 as a regional leader for the Americas.

With the support of YOURS and GHAI she developed the national program Champions for Road Safety, which empowers young leaders to advance road safety. She has contributed to policy development and community-based projects, which strengthen local action and public space recovery.

ABOUT THE LEAD ORGANISATION

Fundación Movidana

Fundación Movidana is a non-profit organization based in Ecuador that works to improve road safety and sustainable mobility through community participation, urban interventions, and technical collaboration with local governments. Since its founding in 2020, Movidana has implemented projects focused on tactical urbanism, speed management, and safer public spaces. The foundation builds technical capacity among public officials, promotes citizen involvement, and advocates for the right to the city. It also collects quality of life data to make it accessible and usable for democratic citizen participation. By combining data, community action, and institutional support, Movidana strengthens cities and reduces traffic-related risks.