Greening the City Week 1 Assignment: What is a Green City?

What is a Green City?             Whenever I think of a sustainable city, the only city that comes into mind is Curitiba. It has four of what I consider as the most important principles of sustainable development: its economy is thriving, its urban plan highlights environmental sustainability, its governance and institutional structures allow citizen participation, its policies and physical spaces are conducive of social sustainability.             Curitiba, just like any other city had to contend with unchecked population growth, increasing migration, heavy pollution and rapid deforestation. Unlike other cities, however, Curitiba was able to turn the tide around, making it one of the world’s most efficient cities today (Encyclopedia of the Earth Staff 2013). What contributed to Curitiba’s success? It all began with integrated plan for land use and mobility. The city layout was recreated to promote walking and cycling as a major mode of transportation. It created an efficient mass transport system so that travel time is decreased, and productivity of individuals is increased. But despite all these developments, Curitiba did not forget to design with nature (Encyclopedia of the Earth Staff 2013), prioritizing green spaces and farmlands within the city limits over industrial and commercial buildings. Of course, these developments wouldn’t have been possible if the city’s governance and institutional policies did not allow citizen participation. The input for the new design of the city was developed out of the feedback from its residents, its priority programs based on what was important for those who are already living in the city. Because it listened to the input of its citizens, the government expected them to be a part of the solution – to follow the rules and to act within the policies and procedures developed by the government.             Curitiba’s experience shows that in order to develop a sustainable city, the government must first listen to the feedback of its people, and develop plans based on those. Environmental design and economic sustainability are then addressed through an overall plan of action.  And at th...