Contemporary Urbanism Brazil: Beyond Brasília

Part 3. Social Inclusion: The Struggle to Make a Better City for the Community

Part 3 Social Inclusion The Struggle to Make a Better City for the Community This third and last trend of Brazilian contemporary urbanism concentrates on promoting social inclusion. In the introduction we discussed the evolution of Brazilian urbanism and how it achieved an important role in responding to the social agenda set forward by the 1988 National Constitution and the country’s re-democratization. By subordinating the property rights of private landowners to the social function of that land and by including a chapter on urban development, the Brazilian constitution paved the way for a socially responsive urbanism. We have also discussed how crucial the constitution and its follow-up, the 2001 Statute of the City, are in the struggle to achieve social equity and a just city for all through the quality and equitable distribution of public spaces, amenities, infrastructure, and services, particularly transportation. Urbanism in Brazil can be an effective tool for accomplishing full enfranchisement and for lessening the gap between rich and poor. Over the last twenty years, a significant number of government efforts have been geared toward the renovation of the existing city—or at least parts of it—in order to extend public, social, and cultural amenities to a wider portion of the population. These efforts recognize the importance of design in making the city more accessible and livable for all segments of the population. Various such efforts are discussed in the next chapters, illustrating different ways of addressing the struggle to make a better and more inclusive city for its communities of users through interventions in the public realm. The most internationally recognized of these efforts has been happening in Curit­ iba since the 1970s, and it is only natural for us to start this section with a discussion of what that city has done to promote a more socially inclusive environment. Clara Irazábal examines the planning model, major urban design projects, and citizen involvement in Curitiba, and underlines the reasons why over the past decades this city has been frequently referred to as an environmentally sustainable “model city” and as a remarkable example of an effective planning process. Indeed, there are many 199 reasons why the city deserves praise: efficient mass transit, historic and cultural preservation , a revitalized and pedestrian-friendly downtown, effective environmental programs, and a series of urban design and architectural catalyst projects. However, Irazábal also argues that although Curitiba deserves praise, there are urban governance and planning problems that ought to receive closer attention and scrutiny. The author points out that most of the planning decisions are in the hands of a small group of planners, and questions whether there is an adequate qualitative and quantitative level of citizen involvement. She argues that Curitiba is an instance where insufficient and poorly managed public participation can delegitimize the decision-making and implementation process that had a brilliant start in the 1960s and outstanding success in the 1970s. The second case study of socially inclusive urbanism is Projeto Rio Cidade, discussed by Vicente del Rio. This citywide program for remodeling and revitalizing Rio de Janeiro’s commercial cores began in 1993 as part of the city’s new strategic plan. The project targeted the historic centers of city districts and their most important retail areas and vehicular arteries, all of which were physically deteriorated and unfriendly to pedestrians. Sidewalks and open spaces were poorly maintained, and street vendors and illegal parking had invaded most pedestrian areas. The renovation of these areas not only provided them with a stronger image and identity and made them more comfortable for public use, but also attracted new private investment and revitalized retail activity, thereby helping the city to recover some of its national and international prestige. Del Rio observes that Rio Cidade was unique in its objectives and scope, in the way it was implemented, and in its political and economic repercussions. From 1993 to 2004, several design teams were hired to address almost fifty project areas around the city from the downtown to distant poor suburbs. The design teams concentrated on increasing the quality of public spaces through streetscaping (including landscaping and the design of new street furniture), signage, parking, and pedestrian and vehicular circulation. The city coordinated the various projects and public service providers. Important infrastructure improvements included constructing storm-water drainage and sewage systems, and burying utility lines underground in some areas. By 2004 about half of the planned projects had been implemented, and their effects on the quality of public...