The first video was called Sustainable Urban living and was an informational video about the sustainable development of the city. There are 2 million people living in Curitiba and it is located 1000 kilometers south of Rio de Janiero. Curitiba was the first in world to start citywide recycling in 1980’s. One time Mayor/ architect/ governor, Jaime Lerner, was the mind behind the sustainable design. He built the city with the mindset that “people matter more than economics when designing a city.” He believes that small changes can lead to widespread improvement, for example: he turned a crowded street into a farmers market. Jaime Lerner transformed the city from an agricultural town into an industrial powerhouse.
One highlighted aspect of Curitiba was their Recycling and Garbage systems. There are two categories of waste: organic and inorganic. The Green Team (or green garbage trucks) are the ones that collect the recycles. They have collected enough recyclables to fill several thousand skyscrapers. Curitiba recycles about 2/3 of its garbage, which is one of the highest rates on the planet. The recycling facilities cost the same as a landfill but the factories keep the city cleaner and there are more jobs because of them.
Another highlighted idea was the “Solution of the Parks.” Lerner turned riverbanks into parks with ponds to solve flood and squatter issues. Skyscraper constructors were able to add more floors into their buildings in exchange for designated green space at the bottom of their buildings or cash, which the city used to fund low-income housing
The video then talked about one of the most distinct and identifying traits of Curitiba- Its bus system. The Integrated Transport System moves people to and from the city quickly and cheaply. There are a few different lines in the system:
Red means express, Orange are feeder busses, Green is interdistrict, Grey are to link suburbs to center city, and X’s are spots where passengers can switch busses. The city has extremely low traffic rates because people would rather take the busses.
On average, the busses in Curitiba carry about four thousand passengers a day. Because of this efficient system, Curitiba has the lowest rates of air pollution in Brazil and much lower per capita fuel consumption.
The second video was called the Smart City: Learning from Curitiba. It was a digital journey exploring curitiba as a smart city. Over the years the city has adopted a systemic approach to solving complex urban problems, some people compare it to a computer system. Mentioned again in this video were the parks for flood control, the extremely efficient busway system and recycling systems. Curitiba has larned to link flood control, environmental quality, transportation and economic development with an approach to urban design.
The last video assigned was a short ted talk given by Jaime Lerner. He starts his talk with a quote in which he says he started all of his talks, "City is not a problem, City is solution." He reiterated the fact that he thinks every city in the world can be improved in less than three years. Instead of focusing on individual issues he believes that we have to look at cities as a whole. In this video, he emphasized the importance of Curitiba’s bus systems and how they aid in cutting carbon emissions from cars. He also talked about his ideas for a linked bus and subway system in Rio. Lerner stressed the necessity of teaching the children because then they in turn will teach the parents. He gave the example of separating the garbage, once he taught the kids the numbers went up. The main point of this ted talk was to highlight the idea of a multiuse city where people and the city are living and working together.
So overall the three biggest sustainable features pointed out in all the videos were the self-separation of garbage, turning flooded areas into parks, and the bus system. Specifically. The self-separation of garbage allows for more efficient recycling programs. As mentioned before, Curitiba has one of the highest rates of recycling for the planet. Not only does the recycling keep the city cleaner at a lesser cost but they also offer a trade program for more impoverished areas that have smaller roads that the recycling trucks cant get down. The recycling company trades produce for pre-separated garbage which helps both the beauty of the community and the people who reside there. People want to recycle in Curitiba; they want to keep their city healthy.
Turning flooded areas into parks is so simple yet effective. It turns previously unusable land into something that the whole city can use. Parks also help lower the amount of squatters in those unused areas. The government promotes the creation of parks by allowing skyscraper builders to build higher with the promise of designated green space at the bottom. That idea is so ingenious. It gives the city a modern and green look. It’s an extremely productive give and take for the community.
The most stressed sustainable development in Curitiba is the bus system. The busses cost less to implement then subway systems and are just as, if not more, efficient. Its said that the busses carry over four thousand people a day. The bus systems are so efficient that people would rather take the bus than drive their own cars. By lessening the amount of cars on the road they are able to significantly lessen their carbon footprint. Curitiba has one of the lowest rates of air pollution in Brazil. Personally, I cannot wait to take the busses in Curitiba. I want to fully understand how the system works because it seems amazing. Jaime Lerner is an extremely intelligent person for putting this city together in the way that he did, he truly made a smart city.
Curitiba is a success story and should be looked at as a role model by all other cities.
One highlighted aspect of Curitiba was their Recycling and Garbage systems. There are two categories of waste: organic and inorganic. The Green Team (or green garbage trucks) are the ones that collect the recycles. They have collected enough recyclables to fill several thousand skyscrapers. Curitiba recycles about 2/3 of its garbage, which is one of the highest rates on the planet. The recycling facilities cost the same as a landfill but the factories keep the city cleaner and there are more jobs because of them.
Another highlighted idea was the “Solution of the Parks.” Lerner turned riverbanks into parks with ponds to solve flood and squatter issues. Skyscraper constructors were able to add more floors into their buildings in exchange for designated green space at the bottom of their buildings or cash, which the city used to fund low-income housing
The video then talked about one of the most distinct and identifying traits of Curitiba- Its bus system. The Integrated Transport System moves people to and from the city quickly and cheaply. There are a few different lines in the system:
Red means express, Orange are feeder busses, Green is interdistrict, Grey are to link suburbs to center city, and X’s are spots where passengers can switch busses. The city has extremely low traffic rates because people would rather take the busses.
On average, the busses in Curitiba carry about four thousand passengers a day. Because of this efficient system, Curitiba has the lowest rates of air pollution in Brazil and much lower per capita fuel consumption.
The second video was called the Smart City: Learning from Curitiba. It was a digital journey exploring curitiba as a smart city. Over the years the city has adopted a systemic approach to solving complex urban problems, some people compare it to a computer system. Mentioned again in this video were the parks for flood control, the extremely efficient busway system and recycling systems. Curitiba has larned to link flood control, environmental quality, transportation and economic development with an approach to urban design.
The last video assigned was a short ted talk given by Jaime Lerner. He starts his talk with a quote in which he says he started all of his talks, "City is not a problem, City is solution." He reiterated the fact that he thinks every city in the world can be improved in less than three years. Instead of focusing on individual issues he believes that we have to look at cities as a whole. In this video, he emphasized the importance of Curitiba’s bus systems and how they aid in cutting carbon emissions from cars. He also talked about his ideas for a linked bus and subway system in Rio. Lerner stressed the necessity of teaching the children because then they in turn will teach the parents. He gave the example of separating the garbage, once he taught the kids the numbers went up. The main point of this ted talk was to highlight the idea of a multiuse city where people and the city are living and working together.
So overall the three biggest sustainable features pointed out in all the videos were the self-separation of garbage, turning flooded areas into parks, and the bus system. Specifically. The self-separation of garbage allows for more efficient recycling programs. As mentioned before, Curitiba has one of the highest rates of recycling for the planet. Not only does the recycling keep the city cleaner at a lesser cost but they also offer a trade program for more impoverished areas that have smaller roads that the recycling trucks cant get down. The recycling company trades produce for pre-separated garbage which helps both the beauty of the community and the people who reside there. People want to recycle in Curitiba; they want to keep their city healthy.
Turning flooded areas into parks is so simple yet effective. It turns previously unusable land into something that the whole city can use. Parks also help lower the amount of squatters in those unused areas. The government promotes the creation of parks by allowing skyscraper builders to build higher with the promise of designated green space at the bottom. That idea is so ingenious. It gives the city a modern and green look. It’s an extremely productive give and take for the community.
The most stressed sustainable development in Curitiba is the bus system. The busses cost less to implement then subway systems and are just as, if not more, efficient. Its said that the busses carry over four thousand people a day. The bus systems are so efficient that people would rather take the bus than drive their own cars. By lessening the amount of cars on the road they are able to significantly lessen their carbon footprint. Curitiba has one of the lowest rates of air pollution in Brazil. Personally, I cannot wait to take the busses in Curitiba. I want to fully understand how the system works because it seems amazing. Jaime Lerner is an extremely intelligent person for putting this city together in the way that he did, he truly made a smart city.
Curitiba is a success story and should be looked at as a role model by all other cities.