Changing Urban Environments Revision

7/28/2019 Changing Urban Environments Revision

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GCSE GOGRAPHY REVISION


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Urbanisation

Urbanisation is the process when there is the movement of anincreasing proportion of the worlds population to live in urban areas.

Urbanisation in MEDC occurred in the nineteenth and the twentiethcentury. It happened when Agriculture Revolution and IndustrialRevolution bought people in to the city.

Over 80% of people live in the city in the UK. Urbanisation In LEDC occurred later in the 20th century when people

started to move into the town, as they needed Jobs, rural push factorsand urban pull factors.

People flooded into city and low death rates and high birth rates incities in LEDCs.

30% live in urban areas in LEDCs Some people now in MEDCs are moving back into the countryside asthey want bigger houses, gardens and want peace. Counter-

Urbanisation. People now in the LEDCs are moving into the city, as they want Jobs.Causes of Urbanisation in LEDCs

Characteristics of an Urban Area

CBD-Offices, shops, widest variety of Goods, high land values (buildup), main place of work, most accessible location, few people live here,historical core. Busiest area.

Inner City-next to Historical core, old high density terraced houses,old, abandoned factories and warehouses, areas of derelict, build next

to factories. Redevelopment such as high-rise flats. Ethnics groups live

Push Factors Pull Factors

Poor Farming conditions JobsLack of employment opportunities Education

Natural disasters e.g. droughts Access to clean waterLack of access to water More shops and HospitalsLack of Food More entertainmentsLack of Building materials Better HousingsLack of technologiesHigh Crime Rate

BRIGHT LIGHT SYNDROME- drawingpeople into the city.

No electricity and sewage system Better Hospitals and DoctorsOverpopulation (high birth rates) Communication and PowerLack of investment from government SaferLack of Land

Lack of services (shops and hospitals)


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here so theyre important services e.g. place of worship. Traditionallysmall houses were built here near to factories to house workers.

Suburbs-grown outwards, residential, along sides of roads, Cul-de-sacshousing, modern, larger and

more expensive housing on edge,flats, semi detached, detached,have gardens and garages. It isless crowded and more pleasant,with less pollution and traffic.

Rural-Urban fringe- bigshopping centres, lesspopulation, houses are buildbigger as land is cheaper with biggardens, golf courses, sewage

farms, airports, motorway, lesspublic transport

Thedifferentbetween the Robinson Model (LEDC) and Burgess Model (MEDC) is:

LEDCs are more irregular MEDCs have a larger high class residential LEDCs have a small high class residential LEDCs have no middle class suburbs MEDCs have no shanty towns Robinsons model suggests LEDC cities do not have a large industrial

area they have Industrial sectors

Rapid Urbanisation in LEDCS


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Housing

In the UK there are housing shortages in urban areas because the urbanpopulation is growing quickly and another reason people need houses isincreasing divorce rates. More people live alone and older people livealong due to sons moving out after marriage. 1/3 of single personhouseholds are aged over 65. The ways the shortage are being tackled:

1. Urban renewal schemes- These are government strategies usedmostly in the 1990s. They encouraged investment in housing,services and employment in derelict inner city areas. Converting aBrownfield site into houses.

Feature Problem Solution

Housing

Real Fire Hazard, Found on Hills so theyare prone to flood.

Self Help Scheme-Seek legaltenure=making legalhouses. Governmentgives material.

Site and Services

Toilet shared between 30 people.Sewage runs down the street. Whichpollutes the water, which leads to choleraand typhoid.Shanties are building of whatever theyfind.

Services

Lack of teachers for too many children Political will Investments Charities

Families have less money for health, as it isexpensive and too far away.People suffer from Malnutrition, as there islimited food.Lack of Cleantyphoid and diarrhoea

Employment

Work is street traders, mechanics, anddomestic servants, sell food, clothes.

Regulations-minimum wage,conditions a certainstandard

DevelopmentPeople cant find proper Jobs and earn lessmoney

Few get Jobs in Factories but cant afford totravel.

EnvironmentNoise, air Pollution. Cooking food createsair pollution (smoke)

Regulation-Increasewaste deposit

Cheap building materials e.g. treebranches, metal (in summer get hot). Lackof spaceIncrease waste Vermin


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2. New Town-Brand new towns have been built to house the overspillpopulations from existing towns and cities where there was ashortage of houses. E.g. Milton Keynes was built in the 1970s.

3. Relocation incentives- These are used to encourage people livingin large council houses to move out of urban areas. This frees uphouses in urban areas for other people. E.g. working families.

3 million extra houses are being build by 2020 and they wanted 60% onBrownfield sites. Brownfield sites are often in the inner city but gardensalso count as Brownfield sites. There is pressure to build on Greenfieldsites on the outskirts. The councils are protecting the Green beltland.

Brownfield Sites Greenfield Sites

Advantages

Easier and quicker to getplanning permission.

Services like electricity, gas,water, and sewerage already inplace.

Roads and other transport linksalready in place.

Closer to the city centre to workor for shops, entertainment.

Site has not been build onbefore so it is quicker and

easier to prepare. Land is cheaper on the

outskirts. Surrounding area may be

attractive making it easier tosell larger and moreexpensive houses, whichmake more profit for thedeveloper.

Disadvantages

Land may be expensive to buy orrent if it is near the city centre.

Site may be polluted andexpensive to clean up.

Site may not be very large,perhaps only big enough for afew houses.

Surrounding area may not beattractive making it difficult forbuilders to sell houses.

Countryside is lost to housesand roads.

Wildlife is threatened.

Inner City

There has been inner city decline as factories have closed down and theland is become has become derelictand jobs have been lost due to closureof factories. People then leave the inner city to go somewhere else for jobsso no services needed so schools and shops close. More jobs lostso morepeople leave the areas. The only people who still live in inner cities aremainly the elderly or low-income groups. So little money is put in the area

so it becomes even more run down and more crime and vandalism takesplace. The quality of life gets worse.


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Inner City Hulme Case Study

In the mid 1900s, Hulme had textile factories of cotton and it had terracedhousing for their workers. After the war, factories closed due to cheaplabour in foreign countries and the inner city suffered Decline.

Improved In Hulme and redevelopment strategies and the problems faced:

Hulme is an area in Manchester that was redeveloped as part of a slumclearance program in the 1960's and a number of high-rise flats werebuilt.

98% of the 5500 dwellings were owned by the council. Over half of thedwellings were part of a deck access system, with many of the poordesign features of prefabricated construction. The area had a low levelof families with children, and a disproportionate number of single

person households. There was also some evidence that the localauthority had used the area to 'dump' some of its more unfortunateresidents.

The high-rise flats didnt improve anything as there was high crime rate(Vandalism), they didnt meet the needs of the population, damp,

expensive to heat, noise pollution and felt unsafe in flats (specially instairwells).

Lack of investments 3/5 people out of work

City Challenge

The City Challenge initiative was designed to address some of theweaknesses of the earlier regeneration schemes. The participatingorganisations were better organised and much more involved. Thisparticularly applied to the residents of the area and the local authority.Many earlier initiatives had focused on improving buildings, whereas citychallenge gave equal importance to buildings, people and values.Cooperation between local authorities and private and public groups,some of which were voluntary, was prioritised.

All areas that use the City Challenge scheme have suffered from high longterm and youth unemployment, a low skills base, poor level of educationalattainment, environmental deterioration, increasing areas of derelict landand growing commercial property vacancy. Public sector housing wasdeteriorating in nearly all the City Challenge areas due to a combination ofpoor initial design and inadequate maintenance. People that are found inthis housing have either poorer health than the average individual, highlevels of personal crime or fear of crime, a high proportion of single parentfamilies and households dependant on social security.

Hulme and city Challenge


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The city challenge was a mixture private and public investment. In 1991 Hulme was given 37.5 million by the government. The city council worked along side property development (Bellway

homes) and with AMEC firm to regenerate the inner city area. The project also involved local residents and communities leaders and

it was important the local peoples views were included. 400 million of private and public sector money has been spent on

improving the image of Moss side and Hulme. In 1992, under the Hulme City Challenge Partnership, plans were

drawn up to build 3000 new homes, with new shopping areas, roadsand community facilities. A more traditional pattern of housingdevelopment was designed, with streets, squares, two storey housesand low-rise flats.

By 1995. 50ha of land had been reclaimed; the majority of the formerdeck access flats had been demolished. 600 new homes for rents hadbeen built, and more than 400 homes had been improved andrefurbished.

The main shopping area had been totally refurbished, including theaddition of an ASDA supermarket build in 1997. This provides 400 jobsfor the locals.

A new community centre, including crche facilities and other socialprovision, the Zion centre, was also constructed.

They constructed over 2000 new homes for sale and for rent- rent isgood for poor people as they can pay every month.

Another positive point is that crime in the area has greatly reduced andthere is more of a social mix of people living in the area. Theappearance of Hulme has altered radically.

A new park has been build to communities together. A flagship youth centre built to stop youths from vandalism and crimes. This has also helped to change the bad reputation that Hulme gained in

the 1970's and 1980s; however, this has been a very long process.

Brierly Fields, a green area, has been partly developed for a series ofoffice blocks, and partly retained as urban parkland. This office

development has attracted big companies such as Michelin, LaingO'Rourke and the University of Manchester data centre Providesjobs.

One significant part of Hulme that still exists is Moss Side Sports Centre.Upgraded for the 2002 Commonwealth games, the centre has a gymand other sporting facilities. Hulme's proximity to the city has made it apopular place to live for a new generation of city dwellers.

Students of the University of Manchester also live in many of thestudent focused residential developments in the area. A symbol of theregeneration is the Hulme arch.

New redevelopment successful and future for Hulme


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The redevelopment of Hulme is successful as criminal activities havebeen reduced and there is more police present and there were anincrease number of convictions.

The prices have gone up and the average of a house now is 11,700.

There is an increase buy to let properties has encouraged youngprofessionals to move into the area. There are now a number of trendy wine bars, delis and organic food

store.

Traffic

Problems

Traffic Congestion Air, land and noise pollution Lack of space Health Problems e.g. Asthma Accidents cause injuries and deaths Congestion reduces traffic flow Stress can lead to road rage incidents Buildings damaged or discoloured Wasting time of motorists Late to Work Waste more fuel which increases air pollution. Rise in fuel cost Wear and tear of vehiclesidling in traffic Blocked road might interfere with emergences

Solutions

London Congestion charges-reduces traffic, reducespollution, more use of public transport (8% increase),profits are spend on London transport. Introduced 17thFebruary 2003. Free for electric cars or minibuses.70,000 Fewer cars enter original congestion zones.

Manchester metro link-Light rail, 5 lines, economic friendly, carries20 million passengers in a year, wide variety of routes aroundManchester, easy accessible for disabled wheelchairs, guarantee atram for 12 minutes, comfortable and can cope with rush hours,cheaper and get to places quicker. The onedisadvantage is the tickets are quiteexpensive.

One way traffic Cycle lanes build to reduce cars on roads Underground or multi-storey car parks.


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New roads to take traffic out of the CBD. E.g. ring roads M6 Toll to educe traffic on motorways

Revitalising the CBD

Problems

Crime Internetgrowth of internet shopping Suburbanisation /counter urbanisationpeople use shops Out-of-town shopping centres e.g. meadow Hall and whiterose centre Parking costs Traffic (at peak 5-6) Creates Dead Heart empty place in city centre (7-9)Solutions

Traffic-park and ride, London Congestion charges, day rider tickets,More focus on public transport, one way traffic (ring road), Manchestertrams, bikes, London metro and reduction in car charges e.g. Merioncentre 1 for 3 hours.

Out-of-town shopping-To conquer this in Leeds they have done freeparking, all under one roof, new indoor shopping centre e.g. trinity, Inmillennium square activities such as ice ring, German market, musicperformances, corn exchange and Ferris wheel. Also they put bigmatches on big screens to attract people in CBD.

Alive after Five-Introduced in 2003 to encourage more shopping andleisure activities. It is used in Leeds on Thursday as Business areopened till late so people can shop for longer so it reduces traffic.

Crime Rate- Crime rate are reduced as more CCTV cameras are put upand more police patrolling the street of Leeds.

Regeneration Clarence Dock Fashion Leeds -has shifted to Sunday to a Thursday so it attracts more

people on the weekdays. Less Traffic -if workers stay in after 5pmEthnic Segregation

Ethnic segregation is when people of different ethnicities dont mix and the

reason for this are:

1. People prefer to live close to others with the same background andreligion, and who speak the same language.

2. People live near to services that are important to their culture e.g.place of worship. This means people of the same ethnic backgroundtend to live in the same area.


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3. People from the same ethnic background are often restricted inwhere they can live in the same way e.g. lack of money, so they allend up in the same place.

Oldham Riots 2001

The riots occurred due to a series of attacks on Asians and whites. Thestrategy aimed at supporting multicultarism is the Cantle Report.

Communities were not integrating at all An oath of National Allegiance to Britain from immigrants might help

future race relations (not happened yet). At least 25% of places in single-faith schools, by they state or private,

should be given to children of alternative backgrounds. Police should extend community policing initiatives and break drug

networks in some no-go areas. Making sure everyone can access information about different services,

e.g., by printing leaflets in a variety of languages. Improving communications between all parts of the community, e.g., by

involving the leaders of different ethnic communities when makingwrong decisions.

Providing interpreters at places like hospitals and police stations. Making sure there are suitable services for the different cultures e.g. in

some cultures its unacceptable to be seen by a doctor of the oppositesex so alternatives should be provided.

Squatter Settlements

Characteristics of Squatter settlements

Accommodation-The shanties are made of cardboard, wood, iron, plastic and sacking.Anything they find.

-Few basic amenities running water, gas, electricity, toilet and main

sewage.

-They dont have access to clean water, proper sewers or electricity.

-The sewers in shanties are open sewers and unhygienic washing facilities.

-Houses build wherever this is space and no planning permission. Mosthouses are illegal.

-No refuse collection

-High crime rate

-Little security- government might force people to move


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Education--Children often get little education or not at all as they cant afford to pay.

-Children from ages 6-7 have to try to earn money to support family.

Transport--Dirt roads and tracks. Open drains/sewers

-Few people own cars

-Shops and work is often a long way off.

Employment--Only few jobs in shanties

-Jobs in factories are often a long way off & low wages for unskilled work.

-Working in informal sector- e.g. repairing goods, processing/selling food,recycling materials. Poor working conditions.

Food & Clothes--Short supply.

-Problems with malnutrition, unbalanced diets and poor food hygiene.

-People often earn enough only to buy food sufficient only for that day.

Health--Lack of clean water and proper sanitations = diseases spread easily(typhoid and dysentery).

-Only few nurses, doctors and hospitals.

-LOW life expectancy

-People cant afford to buy medicine.

-High infant mortality

Squatter Settlements Kibera Case Study- Problems

Info

Kibera is the largest slum in the whole of Africa and is situated on theoutskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Squatter settlements are generally found inLEDCs, as the rate of rural-urban migration is too great for any certain cityor town to deal with so as a result a slum is formed. Slums will build up


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after many years and almost certainly have horrific levels of generalhuman rights. 60% of Nairobi lives in Slums and 30% of those live inKibera.

Housing

60% of Nairobi lives in Slums and 30% of those live in Kibera. Kiberas People Between 800,000 and 1 million people live in the

shanty town in an area of only 255 hectares, meaning thatpopulation density is so high that people have only 1m of spaceeach.

Living in one-room houses made of mud, with tin roofs with about 1m of space per person. Lack of ownership of their property Homes are made of mud, plastered over boards, wood or corrugatediron sheeting. There will be huge levels of overcrowding and also each person in

many slums will only have around 1-2m squared to live/eat/sleep in. Infrastructure is poor as there is generally no lease for the land and

no permit to build on it; this means no running water, no toilets orshowers and also no electricity.

Living Conditions

The paths between the houses are irregular, narrow and often havea ditch running down the middle that has sewage in it.

Rubbish litters the area, as it is not collected. The area smells of thecharcoal used to provide fuel and of human waste.

A standpipe may supply water for up to 40 families: privateoperators run hosepipes into the area and charge double the goingrate for water.

Over 100,000 children are believed to be orphans due to the highincidence of HIV/Aids.

It lacks sewers and has poor levels of sanitation and disease is oneof the main killers due to awful levels of dirt and filth. The flying toilet idea is also against the basic needs of humans, you

excrete into a carrier bag and chuck it out of your window to leave itto decompose.

1 fifth of people in Kibera do not have a toilet, shower, runningwater or electricity and even more only have 1 of those things.

It is believed 20% of all 2.2 million Kenyans living with HIV AIDSlive in Kibera, that just under half the inhabitants of Kibera HIVpositive.

Rampant disease, from malaria to cholera to HIV There is no organized rubbish collection system and therefore in the


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open drain systems of some toilets it blocks it. Healthcare and education are extremely poor as there is not enough

money being put in by charities to fund them as an effect of thisdeath rate is very high, especially just after or during birth and a

huge proportion of any slum will be illiterate.

Crime and Jobs

Crime is rife and vigilante groups offer protection at a price. Thepolice are reluctant to enter the slum. However, there is acommunity spirit: homes are kept clean and the residents welcomevisitors.

As a part of crime carjacking is the biggest problem because thosepeople that manage to get a job in Nairobi have to travel there so

they will steal a car to do that. Law enforcement is also close tonothing around Kibera, which means that people can almost do asthey please.

Widespread unemployment and low wage-earning rates (< $1 a dayfor the majority)

Jobs are scarce and poorly paid; they will also be very unreliableand have no steady pay. As a result of government support ingeneral slums are likely to stay like this for many years to come.

Slide Show

Common Diseases In kibera are typhoid, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. In Kiberathere are no government medical clinics or facilities.

Kibera is an area of 1.5 miles and it houses over 1 million people. Thesepeople are packed tightly as you could imagine. The people live in housesthat are about 12ft times 12ft. They are built from mud and metal.

Manu pregnant women seek help from the neighbors when it is time fordelivery. Many babies die due to lack of Proper Medical attention. At anyone time, 50% of all 16-25 year old, women in Kibera are pregnant.

Many of the orphaned or abandoned children often become addicted todrugs. Some young girls turn to prostitution for drugs or drug money.

Garbage and raw sewage are found everywhere in Kibera. Children play inand found the huge mounds of garbage and the river that is filled with rawsewage.

Squatter Settlements Kibera Case Study-Solutions


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British Charity, has been responsible for low cost roofing tiles madefrom sand and clay and adding lime and natural fiber to soil tocreate blocks used for building that are cheaper than concrete.These allow self-help schemes to progress.

The United Nations Human Settlement Programmed (UN Habitat)has provided affordable electricity to some parts of the slum at 300Kenyan shillings per shack.

Improving sanitation is more difficult and progress is slow. Charities such as the Red Cross are supporting the improvements. Gap year students are encouraged to go to Kibera to oversee the

spending and to help coordinate efforts. A 15 year project that began in 2003 plans to re-house thousands of

residents of Kibera. In the 1 st year of this project, run by thegovernment and UN Habitat, 700 families were re-housed in new

blocks of flats with running water, toilets, showers and electricity. Residents have been involved in plans and funding of 650 million

Kenyan shillings had been set-aside for the first year. Funding isnow provided by charities and cheap World Bank loans.

The United Nations have developed PeePoo, which will not only getrid of their excrement well, but it may also fertilize some of theground.

Another scheme that they are working on is trying to give eachresidence or shack running water and electricity by charging verylittle, 300 Kenyan shillings, this will allow some people to cook foodbetter also and have hot showers.

Also they have devised a plan to put in 2 huge water pipes throughKibera, tapping off to the different villages and for 20 liters of wateryou will have to pay 3 Kenyan shillings.

Rubbish collection is also aimed to have a scheduled pick up soon toclear the roads and paths, however sanitation and sewers are muchmore difficult to deal with and therefore these have not had anyplans for the near future.

Medical facilities and schools are now trying to be financed bycharities and therefore hopeful death rate will decrease and birthdeath rate also decrease.

New homes, more stable and reliable homes are planned to be builtwith real infrastructure and people could move in when they arecompleted. This rehousing project would to be completed 2018 andhas already rehoused 770 families into better quality of lifesituations.

The Kibera self-help youth group is running several projects such as- Cleaning the streets of waste and recycling


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- A car wash- A youth theatre- A sports club- Small businesses

The government is trying to move people out of the favela and intonewly built high-rise blocks of flats. They are doing this so that thepeople can live a better and more healthy life and also so that thecountry looks better because a big group of homes put up by thepeople themselves, piled on top of each other doesn't look very good.This is a very costly and slow process however, but it is getting done.

How do residents try and improve these settlements over time?

- Low cost of roofing tiles have been developed- There is going to affordable electricity- There are 2 water pipes- Medical facilities- Many people are being rehoused to high raised flats

How do Governments try and improve these settlements over time?

- People are being rehoused to high raised flats

- Basic facilities such as toilets are being added- Electricity is becoming more and more available and for a very low priceso people can afford it- The Governments are also supporting activities and clubs for the kids totake part in to stop them becoming involved with the drugs and gangs.- They also have police ready to into the places at the first sign of anytrouble to try and reduce the violence as much as possible.

Environmental problems and Solution in LEDCS

Air Pollution

Traffic emissions, Mostly CO2 which causes severe air pollution Factories emit pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.

This often causes a haze of pollutants in the air above the city. Power stations burning fossil fuels adding CO2 to the atmosphere.

Waste

Domestic rubbish is often uncollected especially in squattersettlements. It is unsightly, smells and can causes health problems.


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Huge landfills sites develop on the edge of the city for the collectedwaste.

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a big problem, as it needs specialistdisposal methods. Sometimes e-waste from other parts of the world

is taken to cities in poorer countries for disposal. E-waste may bebroken up by people who try to recycle valuable parts such as goldand platinum. Unfortunately, they may also expose themselves tohigh level of toxic chemicals such as cadmium and lead.

Water Pollution

Rivers used as open drains may carry untreated sewage. Industrial waste is dumped in rivers. Chemicals may be disposed of in rivers. This toxic waste can be

dangerous.

Managing environmental problems

The governments in many poor countries are struggling to provide basicservices for their growing population, and tackling environmentalproblems may be seen as less important.

Water pollution could be tackled by cities investing in improvedwater supply and sanitation systems but this expensive.

Reducing air pollution needs legislation to stop factories emittinghigh levels of polluting gases. Even where the laws exist, there areoften not enough people employed to enforce them.

Waste disposal is one of the biggest problems. Poor people mayearn their living by sorting through the rubbish on landfills sitesand selling, recycling what they can.

Recycling is important and people, often children, can earn a livingby recycling goods. E.g. they collect and sort glass, paper, andplastic and sell it to companies that reuse it.

Sustainable CitiesSustainable development is using a resource today but at the same timeprotecting that resource for tomorrow (Future generations). To make ancity sustainable:

Involve local people in decision making Make sure people live closer to their work so they can walk or

cycle. Build zero-carbon homes and offices. Provide more open space and greenery to improve quality of life.


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Reduce waste by reusing products such as bottles and plasticcontainers and recycling glass, paper and textiles.

Use Brownfield sites for new development so derelict land isreused instead of building on Greenfield sites.

Improve public transport so people so not use cars as much

Use renewable energy sources such as wind, water or solar power. Use local food supplies instead of transporting food around the New homes are energy efficient There is access to affordable housing Community links are strong and communities work together to

deal with issues such as crime and security Cultural and social amenities are accessible to all Inward investment is made to the CBD

Sustainable case study-Curitiba

Curitiba is a capital city of the Parana state inBrazil in southern Brazil. Nearly two millionpeople live there. The development happenedas Curitiba faced problems such as massunemployment, transport congestion, lack ofbasic services and uncontrolled growth ofsquatter settlements as it had a rapid growing

population. It influenced the developers in 1960when Jamie Lerner approached the mayor andsuggested the city need a development plan.What are the main characteristics/features ofCuritiba, which make it sustainable?

Two-way lane devoted exclusively to express buses About 1,100 buses make 12,500 trips per day, serving 1.3 million

passengers. It has an outside ring Road and then other roads join. The buses have one price so people from the squatter settlement

can come into the CBD for jobs for the same price and is cheap and

you only need one ticket to use the bus as many times as you want

so it is sustainable.

Creates and retains parks and green space beside the rivers. Thisacts as a floodplain. When the Iguazu River floods, some areas

created are used as boating lakes.


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The green spaces being dedicated to different ethnic and immigrantgroups.

Urban growth is restricted to corridors of growth - along keytransport routes. Tall buildings are allowed only along bus routes.

A bus rapid transit system operates. This is cheaper to run than atube system. Some employers subsidise their employees who use it.

80% of travellers use it.

The bus rapid transit system uses triple section bendy buses. Itcarries two million passengers a day. The bus fare is the same

wherever you go. No one lives more than 400 metres from a bus

stop.

This system has decreased car traffic by 30%. 75% of commutersuse public transport. 30% less fuel consumption and 25% lesscongestion.

A green exchange programme. The urban poor bring their wasteto neighbourhood centres. They can exchange their waste for bus

tickets and food. This has many advantages, for example the urban

poor areas are kept clean, despite waste trucks not being able to

reach them easily. Since 1989 419 tonnes has been recycled.

COHAB, the public housing programme, is providing 50,000 homesfor the urban poor.

200km of bike paths in the city It has reduced 25% of cars used and it is sustainable as it has one of

the lowest levels of air pollution in

Brazil.

To allow for more passengers, theyhave introduced bi-articulated buses

with three compartments, each bus

holding up to 270 people.

Passengers buy their ticket in advanceand enter through one end of the bus

while passengers exiting leave from the

other end. This allows for faster loading and unloading so the bus

idles for less time creating less air pollution. The system represents

a time saving of up to an hour a day for

passengers and reduces operation costs

by 18%.


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Green place increased from 0.5m2 per person in 1970 to 52m2 perperson in 1990.

It has over 1000 parks and natural areas. These parks and naturalareas have been created on land, which is prone to flood so, no

damage is done when it floods. 1.5 million trees planted along the citys street Builders are given tax break if their projects include green space. 70% of rubbish is recycled. Paper recycling saves the equivalent of

1200 trees per day.

What have been the success and failures in Curitiba?

The success of Curitiba is the reduction in cars means that there are

less pollution and use fossil fuels. This means the environment wont bedamaged so much for people in the future. Another way it is successfulas the area is greener and more open land also is more conserving thenatural environment. It is also an success in a sustainable city as thehigh level of recycling means that fewer resources are used and lesswaste has to go to the landfill this means more resources available forthe future. 99% of people say they are happy with their town. 1.5million trees are planted in flood zones. The buses are affordable andpassengers only need one ticket to make a journey regardless howmany times they change buses.

Changing Urban Environments Revision

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