Jaime Lerner on Urban Development
Cities Present Solutions Not Problems for Quality of Life
Sep 3, 2008
Former mayor of Curitiba in Brazil, architect Jaime Lerner is convinced cities can achieve big dreams if only they are willing to cultivate partnerships in pursuit of sustainable goals. Referring to these partnerships as equations of co-responsibility, Lerner has demonstrated how cities can build efficient public transport systems without undermining funding for health care, housing and education.
The city is not the problem, maintains Lerner, it is the solution to rapid population growth in urban areas. If there is a problem, it is policy makers at the federal level who underestimate the importance of cities.
And don't forget the car.
Urban Problems Begin with the Automobile
Living and Working Together is the title of a film Lerner recently produced to draw attention to sustainable urban planning strategies. One of the key characters is aptly named Otto, for automobile. Lerner describes Otto as the worst kind of guest to have at a party: thirsty, demanding, and always wanting more.
Otto is contrasted with the friendly bus, a testament to solidarity in the city. The bus carries several hundred people a day, contributing to a more sustainable urban environment. The tricky part for most municipalities is figuring out how to finance the bus system. It may be efficient, and ultimately better for the environment, but it costs a lot to develop.
In Curitiba, during his three terms as mayor and then during his term as governor, Lerner created the kinds of private-public partnerships necessary to underwrite the costs of a public transit network. Private money provided the fleet and transportation links, with the city reimbursing the providers by the kilometre. There are no subsidies in Curitiba; the system pays for itself.
Reducing the significance of the car in Curitiba means that funding for transit networks goes into the public system where it can do the most good, as opposed to auto routes and parking lots which serve private automobile users. Civic funds that were once earmarked for transportation purposes now go into social and economic programs.
The quality of life in Curitiba has improved without undermining its economic wellbeing. The initial framework for this system was achieved in less than three years.
Five Commandments for a Sustainable City
Cities may be the solution, not the problem, but Lerner is quick to point to the importance of creating a sustainable city. Cities that are not sustainably designed become problems.
Lerner has five commandments for anyone concerned with creating a liveable, sustainable city:
- Use your car less.
- Separate your garbage.
- Live closer to work or work closer to home.
- Create multi-use places in cities, including in the downtown, so that buildings are used at least 18 hours per day.
- Remember that sustainability is a function of what you save and what you waste. The more you waste, the harder it is to be sustainable.
Lerner believes that cities that try to accommodate every means of transport—cars, buses, metro—end up with all three systems fighting for the same space. The automobile is definitely the culprit, especially when its use encourages people to commute long distances to work. No city can claim it is sustainable as long as this particular scenario is the dominant one.
As for civic representatives who feel short changed by federal authorities who fail to fund major infrastructure improvements, Lerner has one piece of advice: cut a zero, if not two from their budgets. It will make them more creative in achieving their sustainability goals, if nothing else.
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