Overview

Curitiba is the largest sustainable city you’ve never heard of. The city has been planning for sustainable development since the 1960’s and in many ways has succeeded beyond the small towns of Europe (there are dozens of small European cities that have great sustainability programs). In fact, leaders from cities around the world, including Los Angeles, have consulted with Curitiba leaders to plan their own sustainable futures.

Strengths

By and large the most unique aspect of Curitiba is its incredible bus system. Specially designed busses cover the entire city and are used by 85 percent of the population. On top of that, the city actively supports the influx of rural workers to the city by subsidizing affordable, unique-looking housing, not the cookie-cutter style common to affordable housing developments around the world.

Notable Challenges

While Curitiba is more successful economically than many other Brazilian cities, it is still an area that has plenty of room for improvement.