The City of Curitiba

After I have read and learnt about the city, Curitiba, I was really amazed by the progress made towards urban growth and development. Even as a citizen of that city, I would have never though of such brilliant projects or plans to be adopted. I believe if one city in the world could do it, then its not impossible for the rest of the cities. It’s very important that all leaders and people as a whole be aspired by the success of this city and work towards a healthier and cleaner future.

What is the most significant change or project in the city of Curitiba that you feel has influenced it becoming more livable, clean, or sustainable?

And as such, I could never say that there were a single project or significant change in the city of Curitiba that has influenced it becoming more livable, clean and sustainable. All the projects carried out and changes adopted by the city made it livable, clean and sustainable. The projects include changes made to the city’s parks, transportation, social services, zoning, and citizenship. Currently, there are 28 parks in the Curitiba, all designed and equipped to provide recreation, nature viewing, tourism, recycling, historical viewing, etc. The act of zoning was also done to reduce the congestion in the city. Buildings and apartments were built along the main transit areas. The ancient buildings owned by elderly were also converted into restaurants, hotels, museums, parks, tourisms and recreational sites. In return, the elderly were given homes in the heart of the city. The historical builds were not demolished, instead renovated and transformed into beautiful landmarks in the city, 100-year-old buildings. Recycling is also largely practiced in the city. As I have read, if someone throws a can on the road, a poor person or child will quickly grab the can and take it to the recycling center. There, they will be awarded with fresh produce in exchange for the can. There is also a trash museum in the central city (Gnatek, December 2003).

The transportation system however, was the best thus far. Instead of wasting money on underground railways and train stations, they worked on the exiting roadways to created a convenient, comprehensive and affordable bus system. The price charged by the buses was far less cheap and only one fare was used to get to any part of the city, no matter the distance and each bus could carry up to 200 persons each. The busses are also color coded to help citizens get to specific area if they wish. Yet again, the busses are mainly used in the social services department. The take food, clothing, water, recreation, and education to all the poor people in the city; different busses for different activities. The poor don’t have to travel long distances to get an education, or food. Everything is taken to them for a far less cost. The busses are converted into schools, where the children are taught about the environment and how to keep it clean  (Gnatek, December 2003).

What do you think the future steps in Curitiba should be? For example, what would be a good 'next project' to continue their movement forth in sustainable development and quality urban planning?

The best next move for Curitiba will be to implement a system that will ensure all is maintained, even if the leaders are changed. We all known that changes are inevitable but whatever change will be made, it should be made to improve the existing systems. In addition, based on the PBS Frontline report on Curitiba, the poorer residents resides on the bank of the river and this directly affects the water quality. To improve the water quality, the government can allocate land more inland for these people. In this way, they can help prevent flooding and soil erosion on the riverbeds. Mangrove forest can be established along the banks. Also better water systems can be designed for the poorer areas.

Do you feel that any of the planning, projects, policy, education programs, and/or changes they have made would work well in your own city? Which one, and why? Explain.

For my country, the social services projects will be of great help to my people. Majority of the people in Guyana falls in the lower economy class. There are homes with more than 10 children and no proper ways and means of providing food, shelter and education for them. It will benefit the population if the government can provide vehicles to take food, recreation and education to these people at a lower cost. By educating the poorer population, there will be more understanding and care for the environment.

Reference:

Gnatek. (2003, December). Brazil – Curitiba’s Urban Experiment. Frontline World. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/fellows/brazil1203/

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