… today’s “smart” cities tend to be smaller, compact and more efficient: places like Amsterdam; Seattle; Singapore; Curitiba, Brazil; and Monterrey, Mexico. This is not an entirely new notion: Between the 14th and 18th centuries, modest-sized cities like Venice, Italy; Antwerp, Belgium; and Amsterdam nurtured modern capitalism and created canals and vibrant urban quarters that remain wonders even today.

Lo and Behold!

Not  only is Curitiba, Brazil a Jacksonville Sister city, it is also a Forbes Smartest city. And in  Joel Kotkin‘s opinion, what makes a city smart is savvy urban planning, attractive economies and strong infrastructure.

… Not all the world’s “smart” cities are trading giants like Hong Kong and Singapore. They also include well-run metropolises, such as the city of Curitiba. The south Brazilian city is regarded as an innovator in everything from bus-based rapid transit, used by some 70% of residents, and its balanced, diverse economic development strategy.

Curitiba may not have the canals of Venice, Antwerp or Brussels, but its urban transit system runs as smoothly as a gliding gondola.

… Curitiba’s bus system is composed of a hierarchical system of services. Minibuses routed through residential neighborhoods feed passengers to conventional buses on circumferential routes around the central city and on inter-district routes. The backbone of the system is composed of the Bus Rapid Transit, operating on the five main arteries leading into the center of the city like spokes on a wheel hub. (Courtesy of Kotkin’s provided link)

Curitiba's Bus Rapid Transit by Inhabitat/Emily

Curitiba’s  transportation system is integral part of its “diverse economic development strategy.”   According to a Curitiba Metropolitan Economic Strategy Report (Be forewarned –  the MESR is a 30-page PDF file and is not particularly light reading):

… The growth of the city was not haphazard; the cultivation of the environment and the careful planning and integration of public transportation played a large part in the decision of workers and corporations to move to the metropolitan area.

… Curitiba’s four industry networks (automotive manufacturing, communications software and information technology (IT), infrastructure, and tourism) have grown since the 1970s due to the ability of the metropolitan area to attract skilled workers and international employers. [Nissan, Renault, Volkswagen, Audi, Volvo, HSBC, Siemens, ExxonMobil, Electrolux and Kraft Foods].

THE ECOLOGICAL CAPITAL OF BRAZIL!

Beyond the current connotation of an energy-efficient   “Green City,”   Curitiba is literally green:  Twenty-eight city parks ~ 5,190 acres of linear parks along rivers and streams act as  buffers between flood-prone rivers and the city.

Curitiba’s trademark park, Botanical Garden  of Curitiba, is styled after French gardens ~ fountains, waterfalls and lakes, a massive art nouveau greenhouse inspired by the Crystal Palace in London. The Botanic Museum is a global research center for botanists of native flora from Atlantic Forests of eastern Brazil. The fourth largest herbarium in the country is located  on the grounds, as well as campus of Federal University of Paraná. (Curitiba is the capitol city of the Paraná, Brazil).

Opera de Arame

Another of Curitiba’s impressive parks is  Parque das Pedreiras (Quarry Park) and home the 2,600-seat Ópera de Arame (The Wire Opera) – The structure is built on three-levels around an old quarry, complete with waterfall and carp pond.

And this completes this post’s savvy tour of Curitiba, Brazil.

p.s.  Go there and back again to Brazil-Jacksonville Alliance, June 2009 - Based on the minutes of one BJA meeting  updating status on educational and business ties with Curitiba).