Jaime LERNER

Solution / The City of Curitiba

The capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná, the city of Curitiba was faced with an extraordinary rate of urban growth in the second half of the 20^th century. Although many large South American cities also had to deal with this disconcerting phenomenon, Curitiba's leaders, in concert with its concerned citizens, were able to develop long-term planning strategies to ensure that the city grew in a well-controlled manner.

In large part the work of Jaime Lerner, three-time mayor of the city, Curitiba's development strategies include preserving the historical essence of the urban zone; establishing a vast public transit network that charges by the kilometre; implementing a waste management system that involves the residents; setting up a "food for trash" program; preserving and improving green spaces and much more. The city’s approach has been so successful that it has earned the nickname of the environmental capital of Brazil.