Whew- what an amazing trip this has been! If anyone is following our adventures in real time, please be advised that our postings are not in sync with our schedule, though we hope to find time to keep posting so you'll get the full virtual rundown. At least one or two more blog entries are coming on Rio and Paraty. We've now been to Brasilia, Ouro Preto, and are currently enjoying Curitiba, including some excellent meetings with city and private planners here. Tomorrow, on to Iguasu Falls, and sadly homeward after that. Please stay tuned!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Planning the 2016 Olympics: In the War Room with AECOM
Before leaving Rio, we met with some of the team from global planning and infrastructure consultants AECOM, who have the contract to plan and develop Rio's Olympic infrastructure. AECOM is the largest employer of designers in the world, with 40,000 employees deployed globally.
The AECOM team presented rather surprising photos of previous Olympics facilities in various host cities that are now weeds, rust, and abandoned of any activity. By contrast, they hope to focus on the "legacy" issues for the Rio games, thinking ahead to how the venues being developed for a few weeks' use can continue to be vital to the City's future, and how Rio's image will be marketed and perhaps forwarded and redefined by way of the games.
Rio will be the first South American Olympic host, and the AECOM team asserted that "nothing is more intensive...except going to war." There are political, financial, and time constraints to this huge undertaking, a "matrix of responsibility" involving multiple committees and decision-makers. Four years out, there is already a tension around getting everything accomplished on schedule. There are daily dialogues with the City Planning Department. Three new BRT networks are being planned, and a 300-household favela on the perimeter of the main cluster of facilities must be relocated. The planners will concentrate on energy-efficient construction, and are hoping that Olympic gold will include LEED gold ratings for new structures. But with all the construction, infrastructure and environmental impact concerns, much of the focus remains on successfully "branding" Rio in ways that will highlight the city as a gateway to South America, and showcase national treasures.
$2 billion dollars will be directly invested in the Olympic games, and it is stated that an additional $40 billion will follow. But the Olympics are not without their critics: an opinion heard from some locals both within and outside of the planning profession was that the citizens have not been sufficiently involved, and that the profits and glory will not be shared by all. Rio's happiness is all about good weather and futbol, and the City appears far more excited about the 2014 World Cup preparations than the Olympics. The AECOM team will be carefully following the World Cup preparations as a test case of readyness for their own endeavors.
The AECOM team presented rather surprising photos of previous Olympics facilities in various host cities that are now weeds, rust, and abandoned of any activity. By contrast, they hope to focus on the "legacy" issues for the Rio games, thinking ahead to how the venues being developed for a few weeks' use can continue to be vital to the City's future, and how Rio's image will be marketed and perhaps forwarded and redefined by way of the games.
Rio will be the first South American Olympic host, and the AECOM team asserted that "nothing is more intensive...except going to war." There are political, financial, and time constraints to this huge undertaking, a "matrix of responsibility" involving multiple committees and decision-makers. Four years out, there is already a tension around getting everything accomplished on schedule. There are daily dialogues with the City Planning Department. Three new BRT networks are being planned, and a 300-household favela on the perimeter of the main cluster of facilities must be relocated. The planners will concentrate on energy-efficient construction, and are hoping that Olympic gold will include LEED gold ratings for new structures. But with all the construction, infrastructure and environmental impact concerns, much of the focus remains on successfully "branding" Rio in ways that will highlight the city as a gateway to South America, and showcase national treasures.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Rochina Favela Visit
Forty percent of Cariocas (residents of Rio) live in unpermitted, unplanned areas known as favelas. These are improvised communities, but to think of them as shacky crime-ridden slums is not quite accurate. These are the working poor: 90% of favela residents migrate in from northeastern Brazil for urban jobs and opportunities. Our group toured Rochina favela, which is very strategically placed for jobs between downtown and the so-called expansion area, and well-served by bus lines. Rochina has a population somewhere between 70-90,000 people, and its relationship with the City government is still very new. Many favelas are essentially run by drug lords, who look after everyday concerns, and when the City arrests the kingpins and takes control, as happened in Rochina less than 2 years ago, there is ambivalence as to who might be the better caretaker of neighborhood interests. Property rights can be established in many instances after 5 years of squatting, but then taxes must be reckoned with as well.
Rochina now has a hospital, schools and a cultural center. There is new public housing through the federal Mi Casa Mi Vida program. A new sewer system is 80% completed. One big challenge is that 93% of the housing is accessible only by narrow footpaths.
Our tour guide explained that many residents are employed in the construction trades, so that-- while housing materials may be cheap by necessity--construction methods are often sound and solid.
On our tour, we found lively businesses and kids being kids. A DJ and a political stumper were keeping it real on the street. There are mosaic wall murals and garden areas created by residents, and a pedestrian overpass designed by 104-year-old Brazilian uber-architect Oscar Niemeyer links one end of Rochina with other areas. There is even a store of art and crafts of recycled materials done by residents, confirming the creative life force in this improvised community.
Rochina now has a hospital, schools and a cultural center. There is new public housing through the federal Mi Casa Mi Vida program. A new sewer system is 80% completed. One big challenge is that 93% of the housing is accessible only by narrow footpaths.
On our tour, we found lively businesses and kids being kids. A DJ and a political stumper were keeping it real on the street. There are mosaic wall murals and garden areas created by residents, and a pedestrian overpass designed by 104-year-old Brazilian uber-architect Oscar Niemeyer links one end of Rochina with other areas. There is even a store of art and crafts of recycled materials done by residents, confirming the creative life force in this improvised community.
Paraty city bus
It was interesting to see that the bus operator collects fares and provides change. Passengers then walk through a heavy turnstile to the seats. Provisions for wheelchair passengers are also provided.
We Are Urbanists
Most Brazilians who practice planning are architects, who specialized in urbanism and urban studies after studying planning theory and practice during their architectural training. We are still trying to determine the extent and nature of design review for proposed new projects (admittedly a California obsession): it appears that new development may or may not receive any sort of design approval, and may be approved locally only, or by state or federal reviewers, depending upon the nature of the project and its conformance with applicable codes or plans. But in any case, planning departments are called such things as Department of Urbanism (translated), and most practitioners would probably call themselves urbanists or urban designers when not entertaining their brethren from America.
Monday, August 27, 2012
"Always Present": Center De Operacoes Prefeitura Do Rio
The mayor of Rio is a control freak. No, not really, but after big rains created huge problems in 2010, he wanted a state-of-the-art centralized operations center where traffic, weather hazards, public safety, large public events and risk management issues of every kind could be monitored and responded to in a coordinated fashion. The result is a huge clean facility that looks like NASA mission control, where dozens of operators in white jumpsuits monitor 400 cameras and numerous data layers throughout Rio in real time. They are the only city in Latin America with an advanced weather radar and predictive technology developed by IBM, which allows accurate prediction and tracking of flood and mudslide risks. Emergency shelter and medical facilities are mapped, as are all municipal guards on duty, right down to the charge level of their phones. Even city garbage trucks have GPS, and their locations plotted on one of dozens of GIS data layers. Complaint calls to the City are also mapped in real time.
Marcos Cesar Gentil of the Control Center introduced us to the operation (with Vicente Del Rio translating) as we sat in the Crisis Room. The Crisis Room has a direct connection to the mayor's residence, and has thus far only been used twice: during a school shooting, and again when two downtown buildings suddenly collapsed. We watched a slick video about the Operations Center, with tag lines such as "Rio de Janeiro Cannot Stop", and Rio de Janeiro Government: Always Present".
The Operations Center is also very useful for massive public events that create unique traffic and infrastructure demands, such as concerts by Paul McCartney or Justin Bieber (we learned that parking and traffic demands were higher for the Bieber event with parents dropping off kids). 400 separate Carnival parades are in the GIS files: their routes, how many people, and hours.
It felt somewhat Big Brother-ish, but impressive nontheless, and the mayor surely must sleep better knowing that many worst case scenarios can be prevented or at least addressed as effectively as possible. One paradoxical thing about Rio is that it feels so casual, happy and friendly, yet one sees private and public security personnel and cameras everywhere. Do people feel more secure because of the obsession with monitoring?
Marcos Cesar Gentil of the Control Center introduced us to the operation (with Vicente Del Rio translating) as we sat in the Crisis Room. The Crisis Room has a direct connection to the mayor's residence, and has thus far only been used twice: during a school shooting, and again when two downtown buildings suddenly collapsed. We watched a slick video about the Operations Center, with tag lines such as "Rio de Janeiro Cannot Stop", and Rio de Janeiro Government: Always Present".
The Operations Center is also very useful for massive public events that create unique traffic and infrastructure demands, such as concerts by Paul McCartney or Justin Bieber (we learned that parking and traffic demands were higher for the Bieber event with parents dropping off kids). 400 separate Carnival parades are in the GIS files: their routes, how many people, and hours.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Master Planning Rio
Rio is now a World Heritage site. It was the capital of Brazil for 200 years (until 1960, when Brasilia was newly created), and in the past, hills were leveled and mangrove swamps filled in the making of downtown. Today, however, city planning is based on the guiding principles of sustainability and respect for the astonishing and unique natural landscape that is Rio's urban treasure. Rio boasts the world's largest urban forest, Parca National de Tijuca, and there are many places around town that "feel like an urban Yosemite", in the words of one of my fellow travelers. Outside space in Rio is more valued as a part of everyday life than in Sao Paulo, according to Vicente, and you can see Cariocas (as Rio denizens are known) running, biking, rowing in the lagoon, surfing and playing soccer and volleyball at all hours. The amazing granite and quartz outcroppings that define the visual landscape cannot be built upon above 100 meters. Specific plans that establish neighborhood development are conceived in the context of the role that a certain street may have, and in some cases are being revised as new transportation lines open.
The challenges are numerous: 40% of the city's population is in squatter settlements. There are ambitious plans to revitalize a working port area. Olympics are in less than 4 years, and the World Cup in two. There are approximately 200 planner/urbanists with the City, and they have much work ahead.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Rio Reflections
Wow, it´s easy to see why they call this the ´´Marvelous City´´...Rio de Janeiro. The beaches are amazing, the people are beautiful, there is an energy in the air that can be felt. Music, food, chopperias, fruit juice of every imaginable flavor, the largest urban rain forest in the world, a statue of Jesus Christ so awe inspiring you can´t help but know he´s smiling down on this city and their roughly six million inhabitants.
The founders of the city, Portuguese settlers in the 1500´s, stumbled upon Guanabara Bay and thought it was a river.....and it was January, so voila! Rio de Janeiro was born! Never before have I seen a city blend the natural and built environments so seamlessly. San Francisco has hills, Rio has mountains. Not just mountains, but granite spires rising to the sky that provide a view, vista, and perspective from every turn, twist and tunnel in this city. Rio has lots of tunnels and building more, building lots more of everything......buildings, sporting venues, hotels, bus rapid transit, bike lanes, utility infrastructure, and most importantly, building community in the favelas. This is all in preparation for first, the 2014 World Cup, what I think the Brazilians are most excited for; and then for the Olympics in 2016......what the rest of the world is excited for.
In talking with Brazilians, it´s no doubt they know they can compete on a global level. They know they already are. And with Rio in the forefront, the Carioca´s (people from Rio) couldn´t be more prouder of their city, and frankly I would be to. The energy and excitement level is obvious, however, skepticism remains. We had the privilege of meeting with the Rio office of AECOM, who won the commission to prepare the Master Plan for the Olympics. As far as their concerned, they have four years and it will get done. There is a lot of work left to do...emphasis on a lot. The Carioca´s on the other had...think it will get done in classic Brazilian fashion, wait, wait, wait, more decisions, holy moly only two years left!.........work work work work work work work work, ok, done. Only time will tell, but having the opportunity to see both sides of the picture provides a glimpse into this country, its citizens and their general skeptism of their government.
This was even more evident during our visit to the Rochina favela where we learned sometimes the residents of the favela, any favela, would rather deal with drug lords rather than the police. Rochina is a ``pacified`` favela.....meaning the police are in control. Granted, Rio has some 900 favelas, and only 25 are pacified. So there is still a lot of work to be done. However, and more importantly, some very willing, able and dedicated people have given great effort and made great strides in providing social programs, medical clinics, schools, new housing, and sports venues and playing fields for the residents. We walked through Rochina. I never felt threatened. I feel for the residents given their living conditions. But what was most obvious?.....people were happy. That was their life, that is what they know. Once kids get out of school, they come back to the favela to live with their family. It´s tradition, it´s family, and it´s their community.
Brazil is all about community. Building it, living it and be part of it. They are one country united and proud. Two years till the global spotlight starts shining down, will they be ready? Of course they will, and I can´t wait to see how they pull it off.
The founders of the city, Portuguese settlers in the 1500´s, stumbled upon Guanabara Bay and thought it was a river.....and it was January, so voila! Rio de Janeiro was born! Never before have I seen a city blend the natural and built environments so seamlessly. San Francisco has hills, Rio has mountains. Not just mountains, but granite spires rising to the sky that provide a view, vista, and perspective from every turn, twist and tunnel in this city. Rio has lots of tunnels and building more, building lots more of everything......buildings, sporting venues, hotels, bus rapid transit, bike lanes, utility infrastructure, and most importantly, building community in the favelas. This is all in preparation for first, the 2014 World Cup, what I think the Brazilians are most excited for; and then for the Olympics in 2016......what the rest of the world is excited for.
In talking with Brazilians, it´s no doubt they know they can compete on a global level. They know they already are. And with Rio in the forefront, the Carioca´s (people from Rio) couldn´t be more prouder of their city, and frankly I would be to. The energy and excitement level is obvious, however, skepticism remains. We had the privilege of meeting with the Rio office of AECOM, who won the commission to prepare the Master Plan for the Olympics. As far as their concerned, they have four years and it will get done. There is a lot of work left to do...emphasis on a lot. The Carioca´s on the other had...think it will get done in classic Brazilian fashion, wait, wait, wait, more decisions, holy moly only two years left!.........work work work work work work work work, ok, done. Only time will tell, but having the opportunity to see both sides of the picture provides a glimpse into this country, its citizens and their general skeptism of their government.
This was even more evident during our visit to the Rochina favela where we learned sometimes the residents of the favela, any favela, would rather deal with drug lords rather than the police. Rochina is a ``pacified`` favela.....meaning the police are in control. Granted, Rio has some 900 favelas, and only 25 are pacified. So there is still a lot of work to be done. However, and more importantly, some very willing, able and dedicated people have given great effort and made great strides in providing social programs, medical clinics, schools, new housing, and sports venues and playing fields for the residents. We walked through Rochina. I never felt threatened. I feel for the residents given their living conditions. But what was most obvious?.....people were happy. That was their life, that is what they know. Once kids get out of school, they come back to the favela to live with their family. It´s tradition, it´s family, and it´s their community.
Brazil is all about community. Building it, living it and be part of it. They are one country united and proud. Two years till the global spotlight starts shining down, will they be ready? Of course they will, and I can´t wait to see how they pull it off.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Costa Verde
Heading north and leaving the madness and traffic that consumes Sao Paulo, our group is headed for the charming coastal town of Paraty along the Costa Verde, the green coast. Sao Paulo sits about 760 meters, or about 2,200-2,400 feet, above sea level. When leaving the city the natural beauty of Brazil quickly becomes evident. After a quick pit stop for some lunch at one of the nicest roadside oasis I´ve ever been to, the ride starts to descend to the coast. With green jungles behind and blue ocean waters ahead, the anticipation for a couple days of tropical enjoyment starts to set in.
Paraty is located about half-way between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. One of the first Portuguese settlements, Paraty provides an excellent example of historic preservation, and more importantly, preservation of a cultural landscape. Although originally inhabited by the indigenous Guaianas, the Portuguese came looking for riches in the 16th and 17th centuries, which they found in gold, metals and precious gems in the hills that quickly rise beyond the town. It´s location on the coast, and within Baia da Ihla Grande with it´s many islands provided the perfect location for the Portuguese to hide and fend off invasion from the pirates or anyone else trying to steal their riches. Once these riches were depleted, the settlers found new riches in ´´Black Gold´´´aka....coffee and tobacco, and started importing them back to Portugal and the rest of Europe. Set between two rivers and along the coast, Paraty quickly became a busy and important port. The Portuguese started building single-story warehouses, churches and fine homes for the imperial families of Portugal, all still preserved today. However, as new roads were built between Sao Paulo and its port city of Santos, and connecting with Rio de Janeiro, Paraty´s decline as an afterthought was initiated. Furthering the decline was construction of a railroad linking Sao Paulo and Rio through the lush green hills where the coffee and tobacco was grown and harvested. By the late 19th and early 20th century, Paraty was nothing more than something that used to be.
Then came the Brazilian television producers and movie makers looking for new set locations for Brazilian soap operas. With its preserved colonial building and cobble stone streets, Paraty provided the perfect location and backdrop for the ´hollywood´ of Brazil. Soon the beauty and historic charm of Paraty was broadcast throughout the country and its new industry, tourism, started to take off. The historic center is closed to auto traffic, and the cobble stone streets make walking around the town an endeavor not to be taken lightly, especially after a few caipirinhas! Soon enough, pousadas (guest houses), restaurants, and other tourism related businesses started to open. Soon the rest of the world would discover this hidden gem.
As mentioned Paraty´s charm lies in its historic center, but equally a draw in and by itself are the many islands, beaches and clear blue waters that lie off the coast. Water related tourism....diving, snorkeling, kayaking, boating, fishing...is a mainstay of this once sleepy little fishing village. Throw in a few bars, art galleries, cultural events, the endless sounds of live music throughout the town, and the National Parks, hiking trails, waterfalls and cachaca distilleries in the hills beyond, it´s no wonder Paraty has earned its solid reputation as the gem of the Costa Verde.
The Brazilian government has recognized Paraty has a historical site since 1966. And more recently, the city has applied for world heritage status through UNESCO. For this, the city invested large capital in undergrounding electrical and telephone lines to provide a sense of life in Paraty in the 17th century, no easy task given the cobblestone streets made up of small boulders, rocks and concrete. Given its well preserved center, it seems world heritage status is only a matter of time. However, with the pending world attention on Brazil for the World Cup in 2014, and the Olympics in 2016, it only seems reasonable that tourism will continue to increase. The real question for Paraty is....can it maintain its charm and avoid selling out to corporate greed that seems to happen in so many similar cities throughout the world. I think the answer is yes, but only time will tell.......and time is what Paraty does so well.
Paraty is located about half-way between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. One of the first Portuguese settlements, Paraty provides an excellent example of historic preservation, and more importantly, preservation of a cultural landscape. Although originally inhabited by the indigenous Guaianas, the Portuguese came looking for riches in the 16th and 17th centuries, which they found in gold, metals and precious gems in the hills that quickly rise beyond the town. It´s location on the coast, and within Baia da Ihla Grande with it´s many islands provided the perfect location for the Portuguese to hide and fend off invasion from the pirates or anyone else trying to steal their riches. Once these riches were depleted, the settlers found new riches in ´´Black Gold´´´aka....coffee and tobacco, and started importing them back to Portugal and the rest of Europe. Set between two rivers and along the coast, Paraty quickly became a busy and important port. The Portuguese started building single-story warehouses, churches and fine homes for the imperial families of Portugal, all still preserved today. However, as new roads were built between Sao Paulo and its port city of Santos, and connecting with Rio de Janeiro, Paraty´s decline as an afterthought was initiated. Furthering the decline was construction of a railroad linking Sao Paulo and Rio through the lush green hills where the coffee and tobacco was grown and harvested. By the late 19th and early 20th century, Paraty was nothing more than something that used to be.
Then came the Brazilian television producers and movie makers looking for new set locations for Brazilian soap operas. With its preserved colonial building and cobble stone streets, Paraty provided the perfect location and backdrop for the ´hollywood´ of Brazil. Soon the beauty and historic charm of Paraty was broadcast throughout the country and its new industry, tourism, started to take off. The historic center is closed to auto traffic, and the cobble stone streets make walking around the town an endeavor not to be taken lightly, especially after a few caipirinhas! Soon enough, pousadas (guest houses), restaurants, and other tourism related businesses started to open. Soon the rest of the world would discover this hidden gem.
As mentioned Paraty´s charm lies in its historic center, but equally a draw in and by itself are the many islands, beaches and clear blue waters that lie off the coast. Water related tourism....diving, snorkeling, kayaking, boating, fishing...is a mainstay of this once sleepy little fishing village. Throw in a few bars, art galleries, cultural events, the endless sounds of live music throughout the town, and the National Parks, hiking trails, waterfalls and cachaca distilleries in the hills beyond, it´s no wonder Paraty has earned its solid reputation as the gem of the Costa Verde.
The Brazilian government has recognized Paraty has a historical site since 1966. And more recently, the city has applied for world heritage status through UNESCO. For this, the city invested large capital in undergrounding electrical and telephone lines to provide a sense of life in Paraty in the 17th century, no easy task given the cobblestone streets made up of small boulders, rocks and concrete. Given its well preserved center, it seems world heritage status is only a matter of time. However, with the pending world attention on Brazil for the World Cup in 2014, and the Olympics in 2016, it only seems reasonable that tourism will continue to increase. The real question for Paraty is....can it maintain its charm and avoid selling out to corporate greed that seems to happen in so many similar cities throughout the world. I think the answer is yes, but only time will tell.......and time is what Paraty does so well.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Planning Sao Paulo
Yesterday before departing Sao Paulo, our group met with Municipal Development Director Domingo Pires, and Planner/Advisory Urban Development Director Tomas Cortez Wissenbach at the Sao Paulo Urbanismo City Planning office. We were treated to an excellent overview of the many complexities of planning in Sao Paulo, including their unique process by which developers can buy exceptions to height limits through purchase of securities certificates (CEPACS) which are then sold on the stock exchange before they can be converted to air rights. Sao Paulo plans for multiple centralities, a diminished residential presence in the downtown areas, and long slow efforts to improve umpermitted favelas. The latter involves construction of large amounts of new public housing, but also includes very comprehensive attempts to improve the urban poor's sense of connection with the rest of the city socially, geographically, and through good transit options.
The master plan is called "Sao Paulo 2040: The City We All Want". Some of the long-range goals include greenways along both major rivers, a 15-minute walk to park facilities for everyone, a 30-minute or less commute for everyone, and regional commercial centers to ease some of the traffic and infrastructure loads on the city center. There are numerous incentives for partnering with private developers, and one surprising point was that only publicly-funded projects receive design review: if you're a private developer, no one weighs in on colors or materials, site standards only. Many city-financed public housing facilities are the result of design competitions held by the city. There are also several massive redevelopment areas in the works.
One striking component of Sao Paulo 2040 is a series of "Open City" initiatives, which explicitly address multiple measures for ensuring the future global presence of SP. These involve airport improvements and facilitating transportation connectivity with Europe, North America and the rest of the world, hosting world-level events, emphasizing tourism amenities and broadband for all. This is of course what all major cities desire, but few long-range plans so deliberately address the steps needed toward global prominence.
Our visit finished with an invitation to the rooftop of the 27-story Martinelli Building (home to the Planning office) for a last dramatic view of the miles upon miles of high-rise development, fading into haze and hills in every direction, that is the Sao Paulo megalopolis. Now onward to some leisure time in the coastal beauty of cobblestoned Paraty.
The master plan is called "Sao Paulo 2040: The City We All Want". Some of the long-range goals include greenways along both major rivers, a 15-minute walk to park facilities for everyone, a 30-minute or less commute for everyone, and regional commercial centers to ease some of the traffic and infrastructure loads on the city center. There are numerous incentives for partnering with private developers, and one surprising point was that only publicly-funded projects receive design review: if you're a private developer, no one weighs in on colors or materials, site standards only. Many city-financed public housing facilities are the result of design competitions held by the city. There are also several massive redevelopment areas in the works.
One striking component of Sao Paulo 2040 is a series of "Open City" initiatives, which explicitly address multiple measures for ensuring the future global presence of SP. These involve airport improvements and facilitating transportation connectivity with Europe, North America and the rest of the world, hosting world-level events, emphasizing tourism amenities and broadband for all. This is of course what all major cities desire, but few long-range plans so deliberately address the steps needed toward global prominence.
Our visit finished with an invitation to the rooftop of the 27-story Martinelli Building (home to the Planning office) for a last dramatic view of the miles upon miles of high-rise development, fading into haze and hills in every direction, that is the Sao Paulo megalopolis. Now onward to some leisure time in the coastal beauty of cobblestoned Paraty.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
About Town
Yesterday, Alex's former student and colleague Nancy (who's doing thesis work on sustainable waste management and conversion) and her Brazilian planner boyfriend Bruno showed us around the oldest part of Sao Paulo. Bruno worked on the Sao Paulo 2040 master plan, and on NovaLuz, a huge redevelopment project. I will leave it to Alex (please!) to write up more on our excellent afternoon with them.
Today we went on another city tour with an astute guide named Fernando, who skillfully pandered to our architectural and historic interests. After, I broke free to check out two very different parts of town on my own: the ultra-wealthy and chic Jardins, and the edgy, on-the-verge-of redevelopment Luz, location of a grand old-world train station and the Pinoteca Art Museum.
Some quick facts about Sao Paulo: It is the richest and most populous city in Brazil, with 12 million in the city proper, and 20 million in the SP metro area. 12% of Brazil's GNP is generated in SP. The city is also the largest Japanese city outside of Japan: about 300,000, mostly 3rd or 4th generation Japanese, and about 70 different ethnicities altogether. Sao Paulo has the largest helicopter fleet in the world. The traffic is so bad, that those who can afford to--including the mayor--commute by helicopter. Given the intensity of traffic, it could be worse: most Brazilian cars are flex fuel vehicles, running on either ethanol or gasoline. Brazil crops huge amounts of sugar cane specifically for conversion to ethanol, which is available everywhere. With this, some good offshore oil supplies and an emphasis on sustainable energy production and consumption, Brazil has achieved energy independence.
I think I can speak for our entire group in saying that we've thus far been very impressed with many aspects of this megacity, and enjoyed ourselves far more than we anticipated. Tomorrow morning we'll meet with Sao Paulo Planning staff.
Today we went on another city tour with an astute guide named Fernando, who skillfully pandered to our architectural and historic interests. After, I broke free to check out two very different parts of town on my own: the ultra-wealthy and chic Jardins, and the edgy, on-the-verge-of redevelopment Luz, location of a grand old-world train station and the Pinoteca Art Museum.
I think I can speak for our entire group in saying that we've thus far been very impressed with many aspects of this megacity, and enjoyed ourselves far more than we anticipated. Tomorrow morning we'll meet with Sao Paulo Planning staff.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Arrival In Sao Paulo
Today's buzzword is "verticalization", the planning idiom that characterizes the urban forms of much of Sao Paulo. Flying over the 20-million (give or take a few million) Sao Paulo metro area in the early morning while reading Silvio Soares Macedo's "The Vertical Cityscape in Sao Paulo" (from Vincente del Rio's anthology, "Beyond Brasilia: Contemporary Urbanism in Brazil" is as show-and-tell as it gets. Miles and miles of stand-alone but closely spaced high rises. Brazil's largest city has a growth pattern shaped by decades of modernist aspirations, very specific zoning code dictates of setbacks and height limits, regional long-range planning ideals and the push-pull of government control and market-driven private developers. What has emerge as the desired habitation for all classes of urban dwellers is a very vertical form within a gated surround of private, sometimes park-like space, a car-centric landscape not accessible either visually or socially to the street, but a very intoxicating structural mix of modern styles, shapes and materials that has appeal from airplane and street alike at its best.
We are picked up at the airport by Ricardo, who tells us that Sao Paulo was largely settled by Italians, unlike the Portuguese historyof many of Brazil's other urban areas. There are significant Japanese and Lebanese communities here as well.
Jet-lagged like crazy, we get out for an afternoon of walking and find--despite all the cars-- a lively streetscape. We pass a large meet-and-greet for a Green Party candidate (Lee shakes his hand), have lunch in a trendy spot bordering a park and witness a strike rally by some government workers and further down Paulista Avenue, a student protest over higher education costs. Fighting travelers' fatigue, we are nonetheless now game for going out to dinner. Who knew that pizza was a must-try item in Brazil?
We are picked up at the airport by Ricardo, who tells us that Sao Paulo was largely settled by Italians, unlike the Portuguese historyof many of Brazil's other urban areas. There are significant Japanese and Lebanese communities here as well.
Jet-lagged like crazy, we get out for an afternoon of walking and find--despite all the cars-- a lively streetscape. We pass a large meet-and-greet for a Green Party candidate (Lee shakes his hand), have lunch in a trendy spot bordering a park and witness a strike rally by some government workers and further down Paulista Avenue, a student protest over higher education costs. Fighting travelers' fatigue, we are nonetheless now game for going out to dinner. Who knew that pizza was a must-try item in Brazil?
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Seven Stops
We will be visiting:
• São Paulo
• Paraty• Rio de Janeiro
• Brasília
• Ouro Preto
• Curitiba
• Iguaçu Falls
Saturday, August 11, 2012
We are a group of planners and friends of planners with an ambitious itinerary that will give us an all-too-quick glimpse of Brazilian culture and design, and hopefully a first-hand insight into this large and diverse country's planning challenges.
Check in soon for more on our excellent adventures!
Check in soon for more on our excellent adventures!
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