Eco-cities: Building sustainable urban communities 103Curitiba, Brazil
11 he capital of the agricultural and resource-rich southernmost state of Paraná, Curitiba
attracted waves of immigrants in the 1940s. Twenty years later, its population had exploded to
430,000. To manage the increasing demand for housing, services, and transportation, a team of
architects and planners led by Jamie Lerner devised a redevelopment plan for the city. Adopted in
1968, when the population had increased to 600,000, the Curitiba Master Plan succeeded in
◆ establishing parks and increasing green areas, which are protected from future development
◆ reducing car traic by 30 percent, creating the world’s largest pedestrian shopping district, and
building an afordable and easily accessible bus rapid transit system
◆ initiating a recycling system in which citizens receive bus vouchers, and children receive school
supplies, toys, and chocolate as rewards for their participation
◆ preserving the city’s historic core
Curitiba’s recycling rate of 70 percent is the highest in the world, and 99 percent of its 1.8 million
residents are happy living there. Despite economic recession, growing poverty, and increasing
deforestation in Brazil, Curitiba’s success in implementing eco-friendly programs has earned the
city international acclaim.
Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm, Sweden
12 In the 1960s, a wave of residents moved out of Stockholm and into rural areas in search of a
more environmentally harmonious lifestyle. When the trend reversed in the 1990s, the city found
itself short of housing. Ater Stockholm lost its bid for the 2004 Olympic Games, the city admin-
istration used its plans for the most sustainable games ever by initiating a pilot housing project
on the former industrial site of Hammarby Sjöstad. Ater purchasing and rehabilitating the land,
the city implemented a master plan in phases for 11,000 residential apartments, which included
◆ closed-loop systems for water, waste, and energy to reduce consumption and increase eicient
resource use
◆ incorporation of solar panels and solar cells into apartment blocks
◆ walkways and bike paths linked to public transportation that runs on alternative energy
◆ a neighborhood car-sharing program
◆ solid waste composting
◆ linear green spaces connecting housing with nature reserves
◆ retail space for shops, cafés, and restaurants on the ground loor of innovatively designed
apartment buildings
13 Contrary to the city’s expectations that, for the most part, retired people would move into
the area, Hammarby Sjöstad became popular with young families. An education center called the
Glashus Ett exhibits environmental technology and encourages environmental consciousness.
14 Curitiba and Hammarby Sjöstad are just two of many exciting examples of how cities can
change for the better. It doesn’t take much more than materials to build a city, but it takes com-
mitment, foresight, and caring to make an eco-city a home for future generations.After reading
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