Jaime Lerner at International Conference on Innovative Cities
Architect Jaime Lerner won the audience on the first day of CICI 2010 in Curitiba – the International Conference on Innovative Cities. He demonstrated that, in fact, cities are not the problem, cities are the solution. The former governor of Paraná and former mayor of Curitiba was praised with vigorous applause at the end of the conference for making a passionate defense of cities as the last refuge of solidarity.
A creator of innovative proposals in Brazil and renowned throughout the world, Lerner said that any city of any country, of all sizes and even without great investment, can improve the living conditions of the population in less than three years.
“While people understand that innovation is important for a city, it requires a continued commitment to innovation,” Lerner said, noting that the primary responsibility for innovation and the changing pattern of culture are the children.
“About 20 years ago, we launched the idea of separating organic waste from the sustainable. We conducted lectures at all the public schools in Curitiba. The effect was so positive children passed along the knowledge to their parents, and today Curitiba is one of the leading cities in the world for the separation of garbage. It’s remarkable,” he noted.
One of the secrets to success, says the architect, is to begin. “A beginning represents 50 percent of the work. We cannot worry about having all the correct answers before we begin. We can not be afraid of making mistakes,” he said.
Lerner also highlighted three challenges to cities in the coming years: mobility, sustainability and social diversity. For example, “Cities will need good public transport because they are the ones that originate 75 percent of emissions of polluting gases. We must invest in quality public transportation.” According to Lerner, there is no better program to adopt now, and no idea that promotes sustainability and social diversity should be discarded. All are good and complementary.
