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DEALING WITH CITIES(in Brazil)

A presentation by Jorge Wilheim

Partners of AmericaChicago, 2006.

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The context of Brazilian cities

• An infinite land

• Climate and physical constraints

• No village life

• The Portuguese colonial projectWhat went wrong with this project?

• The “unexpected” birth of the Brazilian peopleThe local melting pot

Dealing with cities

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People and Cities

•A movable society• Physical mobility (migrations)• Social mobility ( up and downgrading)

Dealing with cities

1500

7.00

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s

1800

3.50

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0

1825

5.00

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0

2.00

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aves

1900

17.5

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1950

52.0

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2000

170.

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2006

187.

000.

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560.

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ans

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People and Cities

• Urbanization

• Ethics of success (a set of values)

• Our present far-west

• and now what?

Dealing with cities

1950

36% 64%u r u r

2000

19%81%

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“Life can only be understood looking backwards; but it must be lived looking forwards – to what does not exist ”

SOREN KIERKEGAARD (1813-1855)

“There are no good winds for navigators who don't know where to go”

SENECA (4aC-65dC)

Dealing with cities

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“Imagination is more important than knowledge... ”

ALBERT EINSTEIN (1879-1955)

“Public interest is not necessarily the same as the interest of all”

JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU (1712-1778)

Dealing with cities

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The purpose of urban planning

• To support (orient, induce) (comprehensive, sustainable, human) development

• Dealing with the future

• Public and private; where lies the public interest?

Dealing with cities

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The purpose of urban planning

•To foresee, to propose, to provide

• Planning: a tool of urban government (management)

• What is a tool?• Politics and policies• Political timing and democracy• Working structures

Dealing with cities

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Working Structures

• Hierarchic

• NetworkPROGRAM

Dealing with cities

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A question of methodology

• “reading” the urban site

• the people: identifying the main actors

• the local character (its spirit)

• public participation• what we learn from it• limitations

… the pedagogy of citizenship

• the master plan is a law; public institutions

Dealing with cities

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Highlights of recent cases

Dealing with cities

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São Paulo’s strategic master plan (2001 / 2003)10.927.985 pop 1.523 km²

Dealing with cities

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São Paulo’s strategic master plan (2001 / 2003)

Dealing with cities

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São Paulo’s strategic master plan (2001 / 2003)

who is who?

• ups and downs of buildings rights

• abatement of floor ratio

• selling additional floor ratio

• the drifting of spaces

• master plan and strategic actions (different horizons)

Dealing with cities

Main innovations:

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São Paulo’s strategic master plan (2001 / 2003)Urban Operations

Dealing with cities

Vila Leopoldina

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São Paulo’s strategic master plan (2001 / 2003)Urban Operations

Vila Sônia

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São Paulo’s strategic master plan (2001 / 2003)Urban Operations

Vila Maria

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São Paulo’s strategic master plan (2001 / 2003)Urban Operations

Dealing with cities

Diagonal Sul

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São Paulo’s strategic master plan (2001 / 2003)

• social inclusion: family doctor, one-ticketing, bus lanes, minimal income, minicredit, scholarship, new comprehensive schools

• democracy and participation

Dealing with cities

Other innovations:

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Nova Lima’s environmental and territorial issues (2005/2006) – 71.897 pop. 428 km²

Dealing with cities

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Nova Lima’s environmental and territorial issues (2005/2006)

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• dealing with mining companies

• dealing with landscape and environment

• buildings as isolated towers in a vast landscape

• developers paying directly for social housing

• all mountain tops preserved and used for turism

• saving the original urban core

Dealing with cities

Main innovations:

Nova Lima’s environmental and territorial issues (2005/2006)

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Nova Lima’s environmental and territorial issues (2005/2006)

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Volta Redonda, 2006255.695 pop. 182 km²

metallurgy museum

exposition’s center

hotel

gastronomy

new bridge

new center

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Jaú: the original core defines the characterof the future (2006) – 123.374 pop. 688 km²

Main innovations:

re-concentrate urban life

a new market:central core and its immediateperipheral border

the Jaú river as a central axis

urban character

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Final Comments

• deal with space (environment) X human beings

• deal with political X managerial issues

• deal with the future X hope

When planning cities, we

thank you...