Curitiba Case Study

Question 1

What is the background of Curitiba?

Answer 1

• Rapid development in the 1970’s began to create environmental issues for the Brazilian city of Curitiba
• The city major Jamie Lerner realised this and began a huge drive towards sustainability
• Curitiba has tackled: open space, transportation, water, education and housing to become more sustainable
• It is often stated to be a leading light for sustainable development

Question 2

Name 3 things Curitiba has put in place to be sustainable:

Answer 2

One of the following:
* Pedestrianisation of main street reduced dependency on the car and was done in 3 days to avoid opposition
* BRT bus system uses bi-articulate buses, capable of transporting up to 4000 people per day
* BRT has only one fare for any journey making it affordable for all and meaning people use if for more journeys (buses stop every 60 seconds at each stop)
* Green exchange allows people in slum areas to recycle their waste in exchange for fresh fruit and vegetables from the farms surrounding the city
* Waste is sorted and recycled widely, providing jobs and reducing landfill
* Developers are allowed to build taller buildings in exchange for leaving green space around them
* Parks are allowed to flood during heavy rain reducing flood risk

Question 3

What has been done in the East Village (London)?

Answer 3

• Green roofs have been planted on all buildings higher than 100m to absorb CO2
• Very well served by public transport with 195 trains per hour and 9 bus stops
• Combined heat and power system operates where the power station directly supplies the 2000 homes with a hot water supply, saving on waste
• Uses 1/3 less water by recycling grey water to flush loos and filtering rainwater in ponds
• 90% of construction waste was reused or recycled, significantly reducing environmental impact