ABSTRACT
Curitiba is now considered a world landmark in urban development that is ecologically sustainable and socially equitable. It is not a futuristic dream, and has grown into a vibrant Brazilian city of 2.5 million people with a prosperous corporate economy in Brazil and the world market. Bike paths run throughout most of the city, and cars are banned from about 50 blocks in the downtown area. The city uses less energy per person, has less air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and traffic congestion than most comparable cities. It recycles 70% of its paper and 60% of its glass, metal, and plastic, which is sorted by households for collection three times a week. Some old buses are used as roving classrooms to teach basic skills to unemployed people, while others operate as daycare centers, free to low-income families. The poor receive free medical, dental, and childcare. In Curitiba almost all households have electricity, drinking water, and trash collection. About 95% of its citizens can read and write, and 83% of adults have at least a high school education. Polls show that 99% of the city’s inhabitants would not want to live anywhere else (Cunningham et al., 2005: 494; Miller, 2005: 563). Though not typical of cities in LDCs, or most cities in the United States for that matter, Curitiba demonstrates what is possible. There are numerous U.S. cities attempting to move toward sustainability; the most successful are probably Portland, Oregon, and Chattanooga, Tennessee (the case of Portland is relatively well known; regarding Chattanooga, see Cunningham et al., 2005: 478).
