Pollution Prevention
through
Smart Growth
Presentation Layout
Problems
One Solutions
• Causes of sprawl
• Smart Growth
• Indicators of Sprawl
• Pollution created by
sprawl
– redevelop brownfields
– Urban infill
• Case study
– Curitiba, Brazil
Some definitions
• Sustainability
– Addresses and accounts for the impact our
actions have, trying to leave the smallest
possible footprint
– If negative impact occurs or is inevitable,
take actions to abate impact.
Some definitions
• Sprawl
– Low density urban growth
– Car Dependant
• Brownfield
– Abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and
commercial facilities where expansion or
redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived
environmental contamination
Causes of Sprawl
* Political
Prop. 13
* Economical
Services and utilities are subsidized in suburbs
* Social
Paradigm that ex-urban is good
* Regulatory
Easier and cheaper permits
Indicators of Sprawl
• Density of urban population decrease
• Increase of farmland into urban area
• Increase in the number of miles driven
• increase in the number of cars to population is
disproportional
Sprawl contributes to water pollution
Increases in
Impervious areas
 Storm-water runoff
Fostering
»erosion
»flood risk
»contaminant load to receiving water
»groundwater table decline
Sprawl contributes to air pollution
Sprawl contribution to air pollution
• Sprawl promotes extensive use of car
• Car traffic is a major source of air pollution
CO, CO2, NOx O3
One Option: ‘Smart Growth’
• Urban Design to support
– High population densities
– Redevelop idle lands
Brownfields
– Develop idle lands within urban setting
Infill
Smart Growth
Depends on
– Regulatory backbone that prevents sprawl
– Mix-use zoning of lands
– The development of alternative transport
infrastructure
– Inclusion of recreational facilities within
urban areas
Urban Revitalization
Urban revitalization
– Brings ‘new’ life to urban center
– Redevelop idle areas
• Infill and Brownfields
Case Study
CURITIBA
BRASIL
A bit of Curitiba’s History
• 1964, group of Architects point out to the mayor the
pressure that rapid growth is having
• 1971 Jaime Lerner is appointed Mayor and starts to
take the plan into action
–
–
–
–
Flood problem
Parks clean
Pedestrian downtown
Efficient Public Transport
A Bit of Curitiba’s History
• Today
– Trash Recycling –organic / inorganic
– Recycled materials are sold to local industries
– 2 / 3 of the trash is recycled
Curitiba transport @ a glance
• Between1950 and 1990
population increase 7 fold
• 1964 ‘Master plan’ for urban
design is presented
• 1974 institute ‘Urbanization of
Curitiba’ is established
• 1980 integrated transportation
network is created: single fare
• 1991 ‘Speedy Bus’ and ‘Boarding
tubes’ are created
• 1992 ‘Bi-articulated buses’ start
operating
D’ Bus Service
•
D’ Bus Service
• Efficient and Reliable
– Arteries designed for bus preference
– 65% of the municipalities are covered
– Five ‘types’ of buses
• Savings
– Less time commuting
– Curitiba uses 30 % less fossil fuels than comparable city
– little traffic congestion
references
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http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/report00/intro.asp
http://www.alternatives.com/library/env/envtrans/ww200025.txt
http://www.globalideasbank.org/BI/BI-262.HTML
http://solstice.crest.org/sustainable/curitiba/part1.html
http://www.sage-rsa.org.uk/studies/curitiba_jul.html