Hope, Human, and Wild by Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben

In the book Hope, Human and Wild Bill McKibben states that "Curitiba is the classic example of decent lives helping produce a decent environment." This is why its so important for everyone in a city to be involved in the process of becoming a sustainable city, without the belief and purpose there is no solution. Curitiba is a city in southern Brazil, and not just a small town, it is the eighth most populous city in the country. The man behind the belief and purpose is the former mayor Jamie Lerner. He was appointed in the 1970's and revolutionized the entire city.

Curitiba

The bus system in Curitiba is one of the best in the world. Bill McKibben provides some insight in his book by stating "Because of its fine transit system, and because its inhabitants are attracted toward the city center instead of repelled out to a sprawl of suburbs, Curitibans use 25 percents less fuel per capita than other Brazilians, even though they are actually more likely to own cars." This is a great example of the cost efficiency of a sustainable program within a growing metropolis.

Another example of Curitiba going against the paradigm was when the city was granted federal money to install concrete viaducts so that they wouldnt flood the city with the heavy summer rain. Instead "At a number of sites throughout the city, engineers built small dams and back up the rivers into lakes. Each of these became the center of a park; and if the rains were heavy, the lake might rise a foot or two..." and Park Chief Nicolau Klupel stated "Every river has a right to overflow".

When reading about Curitiba brings me and hopefully other readers hope in building sustainable cities. It all starts with a purpose and belief behind change against the paradigm. Everyone within a community must help with the change and believe in it to make it work.