In 2010 the Global Sustainable City Award was
given to Curitiba. The award was introduced to recognise those cities
that excel in sustainable urban development. It is much easier for cities in
the developed world to invest in the planning and implementation of measures
needed for sustainable urban development and it is a surprise to many people
that the award went to a city in Brazil where, in spite of rapid industrial
growth in recent years, income levels are still relatively low. A quick look at
the reasons for this reveals Curitiba as a surprising place with an interesting
history and culture.
Curitiba is in eastern Brazil and
became the capital of the province of Parana in 1853. It attracted local
migrants as well as immigrants from Germany, Ukraine and Poland and other
European countries. During the 20th century its population increased rapidly
and it became one of the wealthiest cities in Brazil. In 2010 the population of
Curitiba was 1.8 million and the total population of its metropolitan area was
3.2 million.
Curitiba was a pioneer in
attempts to provide solutions to improving urban life and the first city plan
with boulevards stretching out from a central area, public amenities and
industrial districts was produced in the 1950s. The plan was too costly to
implement in full but formed the basis for future developments.
The plan for city development that led to its
present status as one of the most sustainable cities in the world was a result
of the election of a 33-year-old architect and planner, Jamie Lerner, as mayor
of Curitiba in the late 1960s. He implemented radical plans for urban
land use which featured pedestrianization, strict controls on urban sprawl and
an affordable and efficient public transport system. The bus system has been a
key feature of Curitiba’s development. The buses are long, split into three
sections and stop at designated elevated tubes, complete with disabled access.
There is only one price, no matter how far you travel, and you pay at the bus
stop. It has been a model for other cities trying to achieve more
sustainable movement of people and is used by 85% of people living in
the city.
Another feature of the city is the
large amount of green space per head of population (52 square metres) which is
remarkable in a city that has seen its population triple in the last 20 years.
Much of the green space was achieved by using federal funds for flood control
to build small dams across rivers, creating lakes and parks for the city
population. There are 28 parks and wooded areas in Curitiba, creating a city
landscape which is unlike any other in a developing city.
Curitiba does have slum dwellings
and housing shortages but has developed innovative ways of dealing with these
urban problems. Farmland within the city limits was purchased in the 1990s and
50,000 homes, which will house 200,000 people, are being built. The houses are
being built by the new landowners, sometimes with the aid of mortgages from
the city.
Sini
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