The IFSC has been informed by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the IFSC World Cup Curitiba that a recent incident occurred at the venue for the event set to take place on 16-18 May in Brazil that occurred accidentally during work to the roof caused structural damage to part of the venue there are no reports of any injuries occurring among the staff or workers present is working closely with local authorities and technical teams to assess the damage and implement a full reconstruction plan This includes rebuilding the affected slab area and extending the protective cover which has already received positive feedback for its design and functionality We would like to assure all our stakeholders and participants that the event will proceed as scheduled with no cancellations or rescheduling foreseen reaffirm our full commitment to delivering a successful and memorable event and we are confident that this situation can and will be managed efficiently and professionally and the event will proceed as intended.” including an updated venue design and cover structure logistical and bureaucratic processes are already underway to facilitate the swift resumption of construction activities and all involved for their prompt response and dedication We remain fully aligned in our shared objective: to deliver an outstanding event that meets the highest international standards Curitiba Back to topAttractionsMust-see attractionsMuseu Oscar Niemeyer Designed by and named for the architect responsible for much of Brasília this striking museum features an iconic eye-shaped tower painted with whimsical… Catedral Basílica de Curitiba Inaugurated in 1893 and completely restored in 2012 Curitiba's neo-Gothic main cathedral – inspired by Barcelona's metropolitan cathedral – isn't one of… MusA-UFPR Inside the neoclassical headquarters of the Federal University of Paraná the university's museum features rotating exhibitions along with a small and… Palácio Belvedere this modest art nouveau construction was originally designed to be a city lookout It was left to die and gutted by fie in 2017 Largo da Ordem the pedestrian-only cobblestone streets are lined with beautifully restored buildings Paço da Liberdade Curitiba's historic Old City Hall was inaugurated in 1926 and designed by then-mayor Cândido Ferreira de Abreu who was responsible for many of the city's… Jardim Botânico studded with sculpture and crisscrossed by walking paths Teatro Guaíra This premier state-run theater in Curitiba is home to the Paraná Symphony Orchestra (Orquestra Sinfônica do Paraná) This southern-Brazilian city has cutting-edge transit lush gardens and memorable buildings that make an impression on any visitor Get to the heart of Curitiba with one of our in-depth Visit in ShopBrazil $28.99 Visit in ShopRio de Janeiro $21.99 Go to checkout (0 items)in partnership with getyourguide No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission João knows every cracked sidewalk on his 9-mile trip to the building where he receives physiotherapy Also engraved in his mind are the trees that line the streets which he acknowledges with a hug: they help him measure the distance to his destination.  João is keenly aware of which traffic lights lack audible signals to tell him when to cross the routine of going to work carries different kinds of risks each day he braves long stretches of road that lack a sidewalk forcing him to push out onto the asphalt where trucks roar past him.  a student who returns home late from evening classes at her university Concerns about harassment and gender-based violence condition her schedule and the way she dresses she picks itineraries that are winding and twice as long as normal to avoid walking through areas without public lighting.  Júnior and Luciana are all users of the same public transport network in the city of Curitiba Curitiba has long been an icon in urban mobility and sustainability partly because of its pioneering development of a Bus Rapid Transit system that enables millions of people to traverse the city quickly and inexpensively this system has struggled with lack of accessibility for differently abled people—in a city with 300,000 residents who have a disability And it has also seen rising levels of harassment primarily of women who make up 61% of public transport users.  To address these problems and to increase passenger demand for public transportation Curitiba is implementing an ambitious program to improve urban mobility with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) The project focuses on a stretch known as the Inter 2 Direct Line which connects 28 of the 75 neighborhoods of Curitiba and serves an area that is home to 580 thousand people.  officials in Curitiba and their counterparts at the IDB first set out to fully understand users’ needs This meant getting insights from actual bus riders: IDB specialists and local officials traveled alongside commuters on their daily trips talking to them and recording their experiences and needs.  "The Bank went and saw with its own eyes the difficulties and barriers that these people face in their daily lives," says Lauramaría Pedraza an urban planner for the IDB's Transportation Division The program design incorporated insights and methodologies created by the Transportation Division the Urban Development and Housing Division and the IDB's Social Infrastructure Unit.  Two tools were used: the Customer Journey Maps - previously applied in Bogotá Medellín and Santo Domingo - and the Gendered Walkability Index to generate three diagnoses that helped to determine what is needed for inclusive transportation to be a reality in Curitiba.  the experience of the users is traced through twelve stages each one meticulously identifying the physical and recording the reactions and recommendations that they themselves formulate to achieve improvements.  "Sometimes the elevator access to the bus gets stuck,” explained Júnior during one stage.“ At those times I have to ask for help and the driver gets upset because it takes longer while the problem is solved."  Júnior's case was one of seven profiles chosen to reflect the plurality of experiences that the same journey can represent: those of a man with a physical disability a young woman with a hearing disability and a woman caring for her child users were accompanied and listened to by a group of Bank experts and local officials.  “Disability is not a limitation,” says the IDB’s Pedraza “The limitations emerge as barriers in the transport systems and urban space This methodology helps us to understand the trip from the user's perspective.”  In addition to better access for people with disabilities the team worked on learning about the experiences of women in public transport 37.1% of Brazilian women stated that they had been victims of harassment in the last 12 months.  “It is distressing to see how normalized harassment is,” says Amanda Beaujon agender consultant for the IDB's Infrastructure and Energy Sector “A young woman reported that she had used public transport all her life but one night while was returning home a man harassed her She began to feel unsafe during her commutes and decided to stop using public transportation.” Beaujon adds that migrating to other means of mobility is not an option that is available to everyone Another user told us: ‘harassment is something I have to live with every day and I don't have a choice.’”  The second methodology used in Curitiba was the Gendered Walkability Index a tool that assesses the quality of public spaces for pedestrians and considers the experience of women and girls when walking on the streets The index was developed through questionnaires distributed over four daytime and nighttime routes by technical personnel from the Curitiba mayor's office in partnership with the non-profit organization SampaPé.  The insights gleaned from these methodologies are now being used to plan a variety of upgrades and changes to Curitiba’s transportation infrastructure.  These changes can improve lives in measurable ways from the time lost in longer routes that are perceived as safer to the loss of jobs for individuals who cannot access a bus many women who live in Curitiba have rejected work or study opportunities due to commute lengths or because they want to avoid traveling at night Changing this reality through infrastructure can open new avenues of opportunity.  inclusion variables must be considered,” says Pedraza “We had the opportunity to work on this project and the enormous satisfaction to incorporating these issues into this operation.”   Learn more about accessibility and inclusion in Curitiba here (In Spanish):  To learn about the development of sustainable, accessible and green transport systems, download our free publication:  Banco CNH and CNH brand, New Holland one of the main performing arts events in Brazil which takes place from March 24 to April 6 the festival will have about 350 attractions in more than 70 spaces in the capital and metropolitan region "We are proud to strengthen this event that plays a fundamental role in cultural democratization and moves the entire city by promoting renowned shows Supporting the Curitiba Festival reinforces our commitment to collaborate with actions that promote art and culture allowing more people to have access to theater and various artistic manifestations" says CNH's Sustainability Manager for Latin America The sponsorship of the festival is an action linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the UN which includes ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all CNHCNHCNH Industrial (NYSE: CNH) is a world-class equipment Driven by its purpose of Breaking New Ground the Company provides the strategic direction and investments that enable the success of its global and regional Brands Case IH and New Holland supply 360° agriculture applications from machines to implements and the digital technologies that enhance them; and CASE and New Holland Construction Equipment deliver a full lineup of construction products that make the industry more productive The Company’s regionally focused Brands include: STEYR precision technology and the development of autonomous systems; Hemisphere a leading designer and manufacturer of high-precision satellite-based positioning specializing in tillage and seeding systems; Miller manufacturing application equipment; and Eurocomach producing a wide range of mini and midi excavators for the construction sector Across a history spanning over two centuries CNH has always been a pioneer in its sectors and continues to passionately innovate and drive customer efficiency and success CNH’s 35,000+ employees form part of a diverse and inclusive workplace For more information and the latest financial and sustainability reports visit: cnh.com  For news from CNH and its Brands visit: media.cnh.com  More from CNH The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. © Copyright 2025 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved. Legal Notices & Trademarks | Privacy The Barça Legends are playing their first game of the season in Curitiba (Brazil) next November 17 against the Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Legends a team of world class Brazilians at 7.30pm local time (23.30 pm CET) The big news is the presence of Romário da Souza Faria the legendary striker of the Dream Team era under Johan Cruyff The game was officially presented a few weeks ago at the Hospital Pequeño Príncipe at an event attended by former Barça player Adriano Correia Another attraction is the presence of Paulinho who played in the Barça midfield in 2017/18 and Adriano Correia himself (2010 to 2016) Jonathan Soriano and Marc Valiente will also be making their Legends debuts while other names confirmed are Jesús Angoy The profits from the game will be going to the FC Barcelona Foundation and the Instituto de Pesquisa Pelé Pequeno Príncipe which works to combat child mortality through the investigation of diagnoses and more affordable treatments for complex diseases The FC Barcelona Foundation will donating its part of the takings to the Institute in the hope of further supporting a project that is so important young children and young people in Brazil you will be logged out of all the USGBC and GBCI applications in this browser Click the logout button below to continue logging out or cancel button to stay logged in Best in Travel is here! Discover 2025’s destinations The 30 best countries, cities and regions to visit in 2025 Plan your trip with Elsewhere, by Lonely Planet See where a Lonely Planet Membership takes you Subscribe to our weekly newsletters to get the latest travel news, expert advice, and insider recommendations Explore the world with our detailed, insightful guidebooks Stay ahead of the curve with our guidebooks Uncover exciting new ways to explore iconic destinations Every month, we release new books into the wild Search Search Close search menu Explore Best in Travel 2024 Africa Close menu Countries Antarctica Antarctica Close menu Regions Asia Asia Close menu Countries Australia & the Pacific Australia & the Pacific Close menu Countries The Caribbean The Caribbean Close menu Countries Central America Central America Close menu Countries Europe Europe Close menu Countries Middle East Middle East Close menu Countries North America North America Close menu Countries South America South America Close menu Countries The Sunday market on the historic Lardo da Ordem is a highlight for any visitor to Curitiba Brazil’s showcase “green” city, Curitiba (pronounced kr-uh-CHEE-buh) has long drawn kudos for its commitment to mass transit and innovative urban planning Although rarely touted as a tourist city per se Curitiba merits an elongated visit for its parks architecture and pioneering attempts to nurture genuine sustainability with the centerpiece a truly elegant botanic garden a small historic downtown district boasts handsome art nouveau and neoclassical buildings among the countless monolithic high-rises Curitiba is also an ideal base camp for exploring a rich hinterland Monumental sandstone rock formations lie to the west while coastal rainforest and surfing beaches await in the east Here’s everything a first-time visitor to Curitiba needs to know Curitiba is one of the best cities to visit next year. See our full list of Best in Travel 2025 winners Curitiba enjoys a spring-like climate all year long – which means that you’ll never find the stifling heat and mountain chill experienced in other parts of South America here Pleasant warmth and manageable amounts of rain make February and March the best months to visit This also coincides with the city’s relatively modest (by Brazilian standards) carnival a moveable feast that usually falls sometime in mid-to-late February there’s no undesirable season to visit Curitiba While it rains slightly more in summer (December to March) it’s a little cooler and drier in the winter (June to August) Retreating cold and mugginess in August makes for comfortable days consider the shoulder months of May and September While Curitiba is commonly used as a staging post by travelers heading elsewhere you could easily spend three days exploring the city and its environs Spend day one using the city’s celebrated public transport system to visit headliner sights such as the botanical gardens and the Oscar Niemeyer Museum Devote day two to a ride on the Serra Verde Express, one of the world’s most fabulous train journeys The 10-hour round-trip includes a lunch stop in Morretes On day three, consider taking a bus west to Vila Velha State Park returning to the city in the evening for dinner at deluxe Restaurante Manu Curitiba’s Aeroporto Internacional Afonso Pena, 18km (11 miles) southeast of the center, is large and modern, offering regular connections to cities throughout Brazil as well as to Argentina and Chile The combined long-distance bus and train station forms a single three-block complex called the rodoferroviária which sits a short distance southeast of downtown A number of private bus companies have ticket counters for interstate and state travel comfortable and relatively efficient.) The train station sits directly behind the bus station though the only regular service is the three-times-a-week heritage train (the Serra Verde Express) to Morretes Curitiba is famed worldwide for its much-studied and -copied rapid bus network, run by URBS utilizes integrated station pods known as tubos You can see how well the system works by catching a ride on any of the double-accordion 270-passenger buses – many of which are now electric/biodiesel (Hibribuses) – for a flat fare of R$6 (US$1.60) Away from the cacophony of the city center, Curitiba’s botanical garden is a sweeping flower-filled haven enhanced by a small lake and centered around an elegant glass and metallic greenhouse containing tropical plants Visitors can admire a formal French-style garden before taking to a network of trails that wind through several wooded areas or visit the garden’s small café for a bite Curitiba’s colonial heart consists of a small web of pedestrian-only brick streets anchored by the Largo da Ordem and lined with an eclectic selection of restored buildings many of which now house stylish art galleries Of note is the cupola-ed Presbyterian church a small museum in the city’s oldest building that explores the work of Cândido de Abreu Curitiba’s original urban planner and former mayor the area fills up with a large art and artisan market containing more than 1000 stalls Curitiba’s showcase museum is a striking modernist complex that has to be seen to be believed. This singular building was designed by and named for the famous architect responsible for conceiving many of the civic buildings in Brasília in the 1950s the museum is dominated by an iconic eye-shaped tower that rises from an artificial pond painted with whimsical dancing figures in shadowy black The museum focuses mainly on visual arts and design with rotating exhibits showcasing the work of Brazilian and international artists from 1900 onwards The small but succinct permanent exhibition on Niemeyer and his work can be found in galleries in the tower Passenger trains aren’t common in Brazil – which makes a journey on the Serra Verde Express that much more fascinating Running several times weekly through the Serra do Mar mountains between Curitiba and the small gastronomic hub of Morretes the line styles itself a heritage railway – with 1930s-style carriages I booked my outbound ticket in “tourist” class but paid a bit extra for “boutique” class in a fancier Imperial carriage for the return The 70km (43-mile) journey is more about scenery than speed A short section during which the carriages chug over a precipitous viaduct feels as if the train is floating in the air Brazil is notably cheaper than countries in North America and Europe. And Curitiba, where the local economy is less tourist-driven than Rio or São Paulo You’ll rarely pay much more than US$100 a night for a decent double room even at top-ranked hotel brands like Radisson or Grand Mercure The city’s rapid bus network is great value with a flat rate of R$6 for journeys anywhere in the city One-way ticket on the Serra Verde Express (tourist class): US$35 Dinner for two in gourmet restaurant: US$60 Curitiba is relatively safe – something it has in common with most cities in the country’s south it’s best to take normal precautions by sticking to well-lit downtown streets after dark and never displaying obvious signs of wealth What innovations has Curitiba introduced to make it such a great model of sustainability Many. Aside from its bus network, Curitiba has 48 urban parks, a solar pyramid on a former landfill site biodiverse honey gardens and a bike-sharing scheme focused on e-bikes Yes, especially relating to the arts. A theater festival – one of the largest in Brazil – is held in March, and the Olhar de Cinema film festival convenes in June. An arts Biennial kicks off in September of odd-numbered years, and a jazz festival draws crowds every December The nearest beaches with good surfing are a 90-minute drive to the east around the small ferry port of Pontal do Sul Even better beaches can be found on Ilha do Miel a short boat ride from Pontal do Sul and best incorporated into an overnight or weekend trip from Curitiba Are there any worthwhile day trips from Curitiba Aside from the Serra Verde Express, you can make a popular day trip to the very different landscapes of the Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, 93km (58 miles) to the west. Paraná’s so-called “stone city” is made up of 23 aretinhas (sandstone pillars), formed over millions of years. The natural red monoliths – some taking recognizable shapes such as boots and bottles – create striking silhouettes against the blue sky and green foliage. Within the boundaries of the park, visitors can also witness a series of water-filled furnas (craters) that are the result of underground erosion. Vila Velha has an excellent visitor center and regular buses from Curitiba that will drop you close to the park entrance; book tickets ahead online. We're sorry but the page you're looking for is not on our website TO HOST FIRST-EVER IFSC WORLD CUP IN SOUTH AMERICA IN 2025“A stop in South America represents a milestone in our development,” said IFSC President Marco Scolaris The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup Series 2025 will mark a historic milestone in the history of the sport as Brazil will host the first-ever Climbing World Cup event in a South American country at the Olympic Climbing Training Center inside Parque Olímpico do Cajuru Curitiba is the capital city of the southern state of Paraná with a population of around 1.7 million that makes it the eight most populous city in the country and the largest one in the South Region of Brazil IFSC President Marco Scolaris commented on the inclusion of Brazil in the IFSC World Cup Series calendar: "With the greatest emotion we present Brazil as the host of a 2025 IFSC World Cup event After the immeasurable success we had at Paris 2024 the goal is to make our circuit increasingly global “A stop in South America represents a milestone in our development stronger and more widespread on every continent but also realities existing since many years Congratulations to our national federation in Brazil and to my personal friends Janine Cardoso and former president Raphael Nishimura and to the actual president Thiago Campacci,” he concluded After the immeasurable success we had at Paris 2024 the goal is to make our circuit increasingly global.IFSC President Marco ScolarisThe President of the Brazilian Climbing Federation Thiago Campacci added: “We are very excited to bring a Boulder World Cup to Brazil next year This is the culmination of 10 years of hard work in promoting and developing Climbing in our country It is going to be the first World Cup ever in this part of the continent which will allow some countries to have their first experience on the circuit We want to showcase to a wider Brazilian audience how exciting and dynamic our sport is and having the world's best climbers in Curitiba next May will certainly help us achieve this We will do our best to put on a great event and hope to become a regular stop on the circuit in the coming years.” The calendar of the IFSC Season 2025 will be unveiled on 30 September You have to wonder where chef Manu Buffara gets her energy. With her eponymous restaurant Manu in Curitiba and with six different projects under her foundation Instituto Manu Buffara leading a transformation of the food system in the city the Brazilian chef is about to open another restaurant during which time it has grown and evolved Today Manu serves a tasting menu based on the theme of immigration Buffara meticulously researched the history of immigration in the region and presents all the cultural influences in a menu that is vegetable-forward and excludes red meat The chef’s cuisine is pared back and precise in contrast to the modern Brazilian cuisine of abundance Buffara is about to embark on a brand new restaurant but we do know the restaurant will be called Ella and will be an immersive experience that will allow guests to reconnect with nature “This is really fresh but it has always been one of my dreams,” says Buffara “My dream was to build a restaurant and open it four times a week for breakfast It has always been my dream to serve a nice breakfast “You can see at Suryaa hotel [of which Buffara is a partner] where you can have dinner and then you can sleep there Buffara has been operating at the very pinnacle of fine dining in Brazil for well over a decade and as she has grown she has realized that her restaurant Manu can serve as a catalyst for change “The most important thing though is for people to reconnect with nature there We have a cow there so you can see it being milked.  The cheese that we make here at Manu you can see the fruit… I want to do something like this so I want them to come for one month and work hard in the garden and then come to the kitchen Buffara is leveraging her position as the most notable chef in the region to change the food system being named Most Intelligent City in the World at the World Smart City Awards in 2023 it’s part of an initiative to increase the population of the region’s native stingless bees around the city to pollinate a network of 180 urban farms Buffara is working with a network of like-minded individuals to turn the city into a place that produces food Her foundation also runs a network of urban public kitchens where the city’s marginalized people can avail themselves of free food The projects interconnect in a way like a hive of bees each performing tasks that enhance the greater whole “There was a point in my life in 2019 when I realized that the restaurant has so much power so I asked ‘why do I have to keep my knowledge to myself?’ I realized that everything that I had received from society so the foundation was started then,” she says Education is a key aspect to all the work that Buffara does like working in Curitiba’s schools where each has its own vegetable garden and students spend time learning to grow food and studying where their food comes from It’s an initiative that will change the future of food and food production in Brazil the opportunity to educate and inform isn’t missed either the theme of immigration teaches guests about the traditions that have created modern Brazilian cuisine “This year we are not serving red meat at Manu because when I started researching the theme of immigration and learning all about that “It’s important to teach people about Brazil and to make them realize that they can have this amazing meal without meat sometimes they don’t even realize there was no meat I try to use the restaurant to send a message “I have seen how a restaurant this small can transform a whole city It’s so important to see how the work that we do at Manu is to the government but all the guys and girls who work with me We can see the impact that we have had on Curitiba as a food destination Manu is not just a restaurant but it is a connection You could say that in this extraordinary city’s hive mind Barça Legends will be back in action on 17 November when they take on Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Legends The announcement of the fixture took place on Monday at the stadium with former blaugrana Adriano Correia and Barça Legends coordinator Josep Maria Meseguer representing the Club Also present were Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Legends' coach Carlinhos Neves players Ricardinho and Fernando Prass as well Pelé Pequeno Príncipe representative and daughter of Pelé Flávia Kurtz Arantes do Nascimento Money raised for the game will go to the FC Barcelona Foundation and the Instituto de Pesquisa Pelé Pequeno Príncipe an organisation created to help reduce infant and juvenile mortality through investigation into complex diseases that affect people in the area more effective and cheaper methods of diagnosis and treatment for the illnesses in question the Barça Foundation's mission is to improve the lives of young people who find themselves in vulnerable situations so they will donate their share of the money raised to the Instituto to contribute the reduction of infant and juvenile mortality in Brazil For the game Barça Legends coach Albert Ferrer has put together a squad containing names such as José Edmilson The Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Legends squads also boasts some well known faces from across the continent with the likes of Cafú Ricardinho and Diego Lugano set to be involved in the game The Barça Legends programme was created in 2016 and is managed directly by the club The idea is to bring together former stars in an ongoing project that contributes to the globalisation of the Barça name around the world thus offering a platform to foster the club's famous values The Ukraine Square in the Brazilian city of Curitiba officially reopened on Oct President of the Ukrainian-Brazilian Central Representation (UBCR) Improvements include new features, enhanced lighting, installation of playgrounds and ramps, and the introduction of numerous symbols of Ukrainian culture. Notably, the square’s pavement now replicates the pattern of a traditional Ukrainian embroidery “Currently, 27 trees are growing in the square, with an additional 19 newly planted. We also installed 47 benches, 27 flower beds, and a statue of Taras Shevchenko, the most famous Ukrainian poet,” reported the local publication Tribuna the Ukrainian community is calling on the president of Brazil and the legislative bodies to uphold international treaties and laws “Should [Kremlin leader] Vladimir Putin visit Brazil it is imperative that the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant be enforced just as we have restored this Square,” Sorotiuk said The historic Ukraine Square “symbolizes the presence and contributions of Ukrainians to our city” said Curitiba Mayor Rafael Greca at the square’s opening “This space has been completely restored to meet modern needs while preserving its memory and culture,” Greca added The Ukraine Square has existed in Curitiba since 1967 In addition to the Taras Shevchenko monument which is considered a historical and cultural heritage site for the municipality [email protected] [email protected] FB: @uwcongress Cities across the Global South have long been overshadowed by their richer From segregated bike lanes to the 15-minute city urbanist trends are still largely set by cities in Europe North America and the more affluent parts of Asia cities elsewhere are breaking free and claiming their place in the foreground One city that exemplifies this shift is Freetown the capital of Sierra Leone in West Africa Following over 150 years of British colonial rule the city was inadequately equipped to manage the demands of rapid growth following independence.  Its troubles were exacerbated by the rapid expansion of informal settlements that lacked clean water, electricity and sanitation, as well as widespread poverty – not to mention the devastating civil war between 1991 and 2002 and the Ebola outbreak of 2014 Freetown has taken impressive steps to become a more sustainable city These achievements challenge the common narrative that innovation and inspiration flow in one direction: from rich countries to poorer ones what can cities worldwide learn from the latest urban innovations in the Global South Here are some success stories from Freetown and other cities across Africa Asia and Latin America to inspire the future of sustainable urbanism Cities in the Global South often face deep-rooted systemic challenges that hinder economic and social progress One such obstacle is interference from national politics a professor at the University of Gloucestershire It can be what we might call a primate city – that means it becomes nationally very important politically.” affects all of Sierra Leone – drawing the attention of national politicians who all too often prioritize their own interests at the city’s expense need strong leadership to drive meaningful change of their own accord and stave off interference from above Freetown has been led by mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr who has proven one of Africa’s most inspiring and ambitious urban leaders Her flagship initiative, Freetown the Treetown, aims to plant 1 million trees to bring back the city’s lost forests which had been devastated by rapid urbanization This bold reforestation initiative has already far exceeded its original goal, with 1.9 million trees planted as of May 2024. It has now set an ambitious new target of planting 5 million trees by 2028 “The rate of growth of the population of our city and challenges around the way building permitting is done at a centralized level have meant that in spite of five years of hard work we still see that there’s more that we can do,” says Aki-Sawyerr The challenge of transforming regions in the Global South into sustainable urban cities largely stems from colonial-era urban planning African urban planning approaches were heavily influenced by European colonial ideologies which were primarily designed to serve the interests of the colonizers at the expense of native people This included spatial segregation that separated natural spaces from human settlements “It is kind of a colonialist dream or fantasy that you can design the environment out,” says Lynch Rural-to-urban migration often forces individuals into high-risk areas or informal settlements, where they are exposed to multiple environmental hazards, including floods “What you’re creating is this kind of dream – that in a city you’re going to be exempt and immune from environmental hazards you may be creating the conditions for those hazards to be worse we need to be aware of those risks and plan for more resilient societies.” Lynch argues that urban planners should aim to mitigate the impacts of these disasters rather than “controlling nature” – instead seeking to integrate the natural environment into cities One such example is sponge cities – a groundbreaking approach that uses natural elements such as wetlands and permeable surfaces to capture and manage rainwater efficiently Invented in China by landscape architect Kongjian Yu the sponge city concept primarily aims to mitigate flooding by ‘soaking up’ excess water using vegetation and porous earth Key to the success of these ‘sponges’ is tailoring them to natural factors such as topography rainfall patterns and native plant species while also addressing specific community needs Sponge cities have since spread outside of China and been implemented across the globe Meanwhile, the success of the ambitious Freetown the Treetown project has turned it into a highly replicable model that other cities can follow One of the keys to tackling urban environmental challenges is to expand community participation This can build long-lasting change by ensuring that solutions align with the needs of local people.  Lynch says policymakers must actively listen to their constituents and take swift action when issues are brought to their attention “If we are more aware of what causes the problems in our area we can ask with more evidence for things to be done about it,” he explains In 2021, Freetown appointed Africa’s first chief heat officer to tackle the impacts of rising temperatures as part of its broader Transform Freetown initiative Kargbo’s work goes beyond addressing the immediate challenges of rising temperatures and places particular focus on low-income women “Women are one of the most disadvantaged groups exposed to extreme heat,” she says The dedication of Freetown’s women leaders shows how policymakers can drive positive change in cities – especially when they put communities and their people at the heart of this transformation residents even have a direct say on how their taxes are spent which gives local people a say in how their local government spends its budget allowing them to share their ideas and priorities to improve their community First implemented in Porto Alegre in southern Brazil in the late 1980s participatory budgeting has proven effective in mobilizing communities The process has since been adopted in cities around the world These cities are challenging the culture of top-down governance and highlighting the importance of listening to – and learning from – those directly affected by urban policies “That’s what can give us transformed and resilient and healthy cities – not necessarily always looking for the big top-down solutions,” says Lynch “And certainly not listening to populist politicians who simply stand and criticize and stamp their feet – particularly those who already have a lot of wealth and don’t really understand what it is to be poor to face the challenges that people face in informal settlements around the world.” While the world’s cities may face many of the same challenges and solutions must always be tailored to the local context Lynch argues that there are plenty of lessons that cities can learn from each other In the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, he recalls an inspiring proposal to connect informal settlements to the city using cable cars – a solution popularized by Medellín Aki-Sawyerr is considering a similar system for Freetown Another groundbreaking transport innovation is bus rapid transit (BRT) – essentially a metro system operated with buses with dedicated bus lanes and stations to drastically increase capacity and reliability compared with regular buses which has grown into the world’s largest BRT system “Everyone has to be listening,” says Lynch “You often hear people say ‘don’t just stand there – do something.’ I say ‘don’t just do something – stand there,’ because we have to stop and reflect.” Lynch feels deeply inspired by the people of Freetown He senses an “incredible resilience and sense of hope and an unwillingness to go back to the problems they experienced during the civil war.” “They’re really very keen not to go back.” Our mission is to make them freely accessible to everyone We believe that lasting and impactful change starts with changing the way people think That’s why we amplify the diverse voices the world needs to hear – from local restoration leaders to Indigenous communities and women who lead the way not only are you supporting the world’s largest knowledge-led platform devoted to sustainable and inclusive landscapes but you’re also becoming a vital part of a global movement that’s working tirelessly to create a healthier world for us all Every donation 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By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Read our privacy policy The capital of Paraná state in southern Brazil was voted "Most Intelligent City in the World" last year at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona Its mayor explains why his town keeps racking up the accolades What makes Curitiba stand out from other cities Our history of innovation dates back to the 1870s That was the DNA of our innovation. But a game changer came in 2017 with the creation of Pinhao Valley innovation ecosystem non-profit and other institutions to create an integrated tech ecosystem we have been winning awards and being nominated as a finalist somewhere every year The award last year in Barcelona shows the maturation of this process The jury said Curitiba’s approach "had a central focus on enhancing the quality of life for citizens." Which of your initiatives reflect that Curitiba is recognized for urban planning that works for its citizens I always tell my team that innovation is only valid when it becomes a social process Public health, for instance, is a huge issue in Brazil. In 2017 we created Health Now, an App that lets you book a doctor’s appointment, get vaccinated, and so on. This project won the Latam Smart City Award in 2018 So technology and innovation are applied in every way possible to make people’s lives easier We also take care of infrastructure, building road bypasses, finishing the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) corridor, called the Green Line, starting electrification of the bus fleet, and investing in several solar energy plantsin many public buildings, including one on top of an old landfill, the Solar Pyramid But one major project is still underway: the Caximba New Neighborhood, in an irregular housing complex of nearly 1,700 families next to two important rivers. We are building new houses, regenerating the vegetation, and creating parks to protect the rivers. It is the biggest housing project in the history of Curitiba, with an investment of almost 50 million euros, financed by the French Development Agency              Smart cities invariably rely on a flow of data How do you provide that while also protecting people’s personal data and privacy The way to ensure the security of personal data and the privacy of Curitiba's citizens is the e-cidadão (e-citizen) a digital platform used by the Curitiba City Hall It allows users to access various public services with a single account instead of having to provide their data repeatedly and complies with the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) a Brazilian law inspired by the European Union’s GDPR and duties for the processing of personal data To ensure public support for the use of e-cidadão the Curitiba City Hall carried out education campaigns that explained the advantages and rights of system users More than 73% of our 1.7 million people have an active registration on e-cidadão Under a collaboration project between Huawei and TIM Brasil [a mobile operator] Curitiba is being transformed into the country’s first "5G city." That promises high-quality services and transmission speeds with low energy consumption and costs How will that affect the city’s economy Curitiba has the most extensive 5G use of any city in Brazil The project by TIM and Huawei was announced even before the operation of 5G began in Curitiba because the city had been prepared to receive the new technology since 2019 We streamlined legal and regulatory processes to speed the implementation of a more modern mobile and internet infrastructure This led to more investment and connections across the city and simplified the process of granting licenses and installing antennas Also, Curitiba provides free public Wi-Fi anywhere in the city. You can easily get connected at bus terminals, health centers, the Streets of Citizenship [small government branch offices located throughout the city] The city already has 310 points with Wi-Fi Curitiba free connections there are 307,000 users registered to use the service What smart city ambitions do you have in future for Curitiba particularly with the seemingly limitless potential of AI I created Brazil’s first municipal AI Secretariat to develop innovation as a social transformation tool and legacy for the city alongside the Curitiba Agency for Development and Innovation which already works with the city's innovation ecosystem The AI Secretariat will also work closely with the Municipal Council of Innovation The new Secretariat will promote new projects that use AI to create systems capable of simulating reasoning and human perception in a way that improves the quality of public services It will define a portfolio of priority AI projects based on diagnoses and on the Municipal Information and Communication Technology Policy which is always aligned with the commitment of Curitiba to the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) the Curitiba Agency for Development and Innovation will hold workshops and training for public servants to build knowledge and awareness and AI culture in public sector and society You were initially mayor of the city more than 30 years ago and were then elected a second time in 2017 Has the city technologically transformed in that time And what lessons can other cities learn from Curitiba’s experience?  because there’s a project from the 1990s that I believe was very important for the city’s transformation The Lighthouses of Knowledge – a decentralized network of libraries that came online with the first Brazilian public internet connection in 1993 – revolutionized public education in Curitiba It offered students and the community free access to computers and the internet That was the beginning of a digital transformation these spaces are being reformulated and revitalized as the Lighthouses of Knowledge and Innovation They provide “maker spaces” for students and teachers from municipal public schools giving them access to skills and techniques such as 3D printing and learn creative problem-solving techniques and programming languages There are 33 Lighthouses implemented since 2017 public school teachers receive training for using the spaces This guarantees access to technology for everyone from an early age Another important initiative, Speak Curitiba, is a public consultation where the population helps decide the spending priorities of the city. This year, it won a Government Excellence Award promoted by the United Arab Emirates, and has been highlighted by the UN as a local example of governance aligned with SDG 11 which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive Horse has begun production of its 1.3-liter four-cylinder HR13 engine at its facility in Curitiba The flex fuel variant of the HR13 turbo engine has been engineered specifically for the South American market It can run on gasoline and ethanol blends and is fully compliant with L8 emissions standards The powertrain delivers a peak power of 163PS (120kW) and a peak torque load of 250Nm at just 1,600rpm The HR13 benefits from a bespoke direct injection system developed for ethanol use Horse says that each cylinder is accompanied by a centrally mounted six-hole injector operating at 200 bar pressure tailored for exceptional fuel atomization to deliver effortless power and torque without affecting fuel economy HR13 production is the result of a recent R$100m (US$17m) investment in the Curitiba facility which can produce up to 600,000 units annually across its portfolio of engines Wesley Palma, plant director at Horse Curitiba “The start of HR13 production in Brazil demonstrates our commitment to delivering engineering and manufacturing solutions tailored to local markets.” “This move reinforces our commitment to the Brazilian market and South America Our message has always been clear: there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to global mobility but instead tailor-made solutions that reflect regional needs.” 43,000+ global companies doing business in the region 102,000+ key contacts related to companies and projects news and interviews about your industry in English Columbus area governments have spent $725,000 on marketing and at least $56,000 on research trips a plan to revamp the region's transportation system with a sales tax levy Franklin County and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission have all spent thousands in the past several years according to public records obtained by The Dispatch COTA and the county spent $44,000 to send elected and high-ranking officials to Brazil for a week last year to research Curitiba's world-renowned transit system government planners and engineers traveled to Indianapolis and Minneapolis on short trips in recent years to study transit systems which advocates for transparent government said officials can learn a lot from other cities but they should be transparent about what they spend and what they learn on trips "There is a difference between civil engineering staff going to the Twin Cities to look at their infrastructure and a delegation going to Brazil And it is not necessarily a fine line between a good research trip and a junket," Turcer said A primer on LinkUS: What to know about COTA levy. Columbus wants to catch up to other cities with rapid bus lines COTA is seeking a permanent half-percent (0.5%) sales tax increase to fund the creation of bus rapid transit lines, more bus service and the construction of sidewalks and bike paths Elected officials told The Dispatch that the trip and marketing expenses are worth it to create a modern transportation system “By learning from the best, we help ensure that LinkUS is a well-planned, efficient, and effective transit system that will meet the needs of our community for decades to come," Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley told The Dispatch in a statement county and COTA sent delegates to Curitiba in southern Brazil and Rio de Janeiro for a week in January 2023 Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin and Councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla who all told The Dispatch the trip provided invaluable insights “Curitiba built one of the first bus rapid transit systems in the world and is considered among the most successful case studies of transit-oriented development anywhere,” Hardin said Other attendees of the Brazil trip included the chair of COTA’s board of trustees Marlon Moore; COTA Senior Director of Development Kimberly Sharp; COTA Local Government Affairs Director Kelsey Ellingsen; County Senior Policy Analyst Autumn Mitchell and Hardin’s then-legislative aide Zachary Davidson (who left his job with the city less than six months later) the stated goals of the trip also included learning about Curitiba’s progress in reducing infant mortality forging business ties with Brazilian companies and strengthening the sister city relationship According to an agenda obtained by The Dispatch the trip included more than a dozen official meetings including with the Curitiba mayor; the city’s secretary of health; the company that operates bus terminals in Curitiba; and Volvo The trip schedule also included visits to the Curitiba Botanical Gardens and the city's Panoramic Tower The group spent six nights in four-star hotels: five nights in Curitiba and they ended with one night in Rio de Janeiro at a hotel across the street from Copacabana Beach Delegates had one official meeting in Rio with a bank on the schedule Attendees also spent time in Rio soaking in the culture: they got a samba demonstration by a local dance group saw the famous statue Christ the Redeemer and watched the sunset on Sugarloaf Mountain They had a group farewell dinner on the beach Hardin and Barroso de Padilla did not post about the trip to Brazil on their public Facebook or Instagram accounts Crawley did post a reel on Instagram a week after the trip and wrote in the caption "We learned a lot and have brought back some best practices!" Officials didn't provide any expense reports for the Brazil trip and provided invoices for $5,500 per attendee paid to Greater Columbus Sister Cities International COTA and county said the nonprofit planned and purchased everything Greater Columbus Sister Cities International gets most of its funding from the city and county City Council has given Sister Cities $740,000 in grants and the Franklin County Commissioners have given the nonprofit $375,000 Their total annual revenue was $418,000 in 2022 the latest year for which records are available Government staff traveled to Indianapolis and MinneapolisTo study a U.S COTA and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission also spent about $11,600 to send a dozen staff members to Minneapolis for two days in 2022 Paul) already have three bus rapid transit lines the Minnesota trip’s participants included COTA engineers and MORPC planners Only one person who went to Brazil also went to Minneapolis: Sharp COTA and Columbus also sent employees on a day trip to Indianapolis in 2019 and Columbus sent employees on another day trip to Indianapolis in 2022 to study the city's first bus rapid transit line: the Red Line The city and COTA did not provide any expense information for these trips saying employees paid for any meals and the only expense would have been gas as staff used COTA and city vehicles to travel there and back the same day $725,000 on marketing for LinkUSFor the past two years Columbus has contracted with Hunter Marketing for “communications outreach and engagement” on the LinkUS transportation plan Hunter Marketing subcontracts 10% of the contract to ArtFluential for design services and 35% of the contract to The Saunders PR Group for engagement LinkUS' four government partners share the cost of the contract Franklin County spent $175,000 and MORPC spent $50,000 according to City Council spokesperson José Rodríguez More reporting on LinkUS: Part of Reynoldsburg could have highest sales tax in Ohio if COTA levy passes “As with other major infrastructure projects at the City of Columbus education and community engagement are a critical component," Rodríguez said in a statement Saunders said some of the LinkUS campaign's successes include about 7,600 social media followers and 23,000 visitors to the LinkUS website in July Saunders' group has planned a handful of public town halls at which residents can learn more about LinkUS from a panel of city A town hall in August held at IMPACT Community Action on the South Side that a Dispatch reporter attended drew fewer than a dozen people COTA and other government authorities cannot legally spend money to campaign for the levy on the ballot A separate campaign advocating for a yes vote is funded by local businesses and managed by Alex Baker former executive director of the Franklin County Democratic Party jlaird@dispatch.com @LairdWrite The Barça Legends are set to face the Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Legends on Sunday in Curitiba, Brazil, kick off 7.30pm local time, 11.30pm CET, in the first game of the season for the team coached by Albert Ferrer.  After a long trip to South America, the squad paid a visit to the Hospital Pequeno Príncipe de Curitiba, the most important children's hospital in Brazil, meeting the children on the wards and the professional staff at the centre, who gave the players a guided tour, explaining the work they carry out on a daily basis.  It is important to remember that the Barça Legends - via the Barça Foundation's mission to improve the lives of young people who find themselves in vulnerable situations - will donate their share of the money raised to the Instituto to contribute to reducing infant and juvenile mortality in Brazil.  The team trained for more than an hour on the pitch at the training complex of Brazilian local club in Curitiba Clube Athletico Paranaense in order to prepare for Sunday's game against a legends team that will feature names such as Cafú, Tinga, Alex Meschini, Fernando Prass, Ricardinho and Diego Lugano, amongst others.  RF showed that on hourly and daily prediction scales, the planetary boundary layer height was the most important variable, followed by wind gust and wind velocity in hourly or daily cases, respectively. The highest PM prediction accuracy (99.37%) was found using the RF model on a daily scale. For forecasting, the highest accuracy was 99.71% using the LSTM model for 1-h forecast horizon with 5 h of previous data used as input variables. Volume 7 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fdata.2024.1412837 This article is part of the Research TopicAir Quality and Biosphere-Atmosphere InteractionsView all 5 articles Introduction: Air quality is directly affected by pollutant emission from vehicles especially in large cities and metropolitan areas or when there is no compliance check for vehicle emission standards Particulate Matter (PM) is one of the pollutants emitted from fuel burning in internal combustion engines and remains suspended in the atmosphere causing respiratory and cardiovascular health problems to the population we analyzed the interaction between vehicular emissions and particulate matter concentrations in the lower atmosphere presenting methods for predicting and forecasting PM2.5 Methods: Meteorological and vehicle flow data from the city of Curitiba and particulate matter concentration data from optical sensors installed in the city between 2020 and 2022 were organized in hourly and daily averages Prediction and forecasting were based on two machine learning models: Random Forest (RF) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network The baseline model for prediction was chosen as the Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model Results: RF showed that on hourly and daily prediction scales the planetary boundary layer height was the most important variable followed by wind gust and wind velocity in hourly or daily cases The highest PM prediction accuracy (99.37%) was found using the RF model on a daily scale the highest accuracy was 99.71% using the LSTM model for 1-h forecast horizon with 5 h of previous data used as input variables Discussion: The RF and LSTM models were able to improve prediction and forecasting compared with MLR and Naive The LSTM was trained with data corresponding to the period of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 and 2021) and was able to forecast the concentration of PM2.5 in 2022 in which the data show that there was greater circulation of vehicles and higher peaks in the concentration of PM2.5 Our results can help the physical understanding of factors influencing pollutant dispersion from vehicle emissions at the lower atmosphere in urban environment This study supports the formulation of new government policies to mitigate the impact of vehicle emissions in large cities Several studies have proposed models to predict PM concentration (Brokamp et al., 2018; Shang et al., 2019; Xiao et al., 2020) but identifying the key factors influencing these predictions remains a challenging problem Prediction and forecasting are often used interchangeably forecasting refers to the process of estimating fine particle concentration in the future based on past observation data prediction refers to estimating PM2.5 concentration in the same time step as the input variables used to make the prediction and meteorological conditions (wind speed and direction and relative humidity) were considered as predictors; the author showed that in warmer periods RF produces a better fit and that the most important predictors for PM2.5 concentrations were meteorological conditions This study aims to use machine learning models (Random Forest and LSTM neural network) to estimate the concentration of PM2.5 in Curitiba The models to access PM2.5 concentrations were developed using data from optical sensors installed in the city between 2020 and 2022 and particulate matter concentration as input variables We seek to identify the importance of different input variables and compare PM2.5 prediction and forecasting model performances The study is organized as follows: Section 2 describes the data related to vehicle counting presents an overview of the machine learning models and a description of performance evaluation metrics; Section 3 contains the modeling results and discussion; and Section 4 summarizes the conclusions This section is divided in four parts: subsection 2.1) a description of the solution developed by the authors to measure PM2.5 concentrations and the dataset construction based on vehicle count and boundary layer height data; subsection 2.2) a description of the Random Forest model used for PM prediction; subsection 2.3) an overview of the LSTM Neural Network architecture applied for PM forecast; and subsection 2.4) the performance metrics applied to evaluate the quality of predictions The data used in this study refer to the period from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022 and ERA5 data in the city of Curitiba and metropolitan region (Colombo) The vehicle count data were obtained from the Perkons company, covering four points in the city (Figure 1) from 1 January 2020 to 4 October 2022 The total vehicle count (including motorcycles and trucks) was used to represent the average hourly or daily vehicle count in the city meteorological variables and the variation in the height of the boundary layer are expected to influence the concentration and dispersion of PM in the atmosphere and precipitation data (mm) were obtained from the National Meteorological Institute (INMET) from two automatic weather stations: station A807 located at the Polytechnic Centre of the Federal University and station B806 located in the city of Colombo and the site used for downloading ERA5 data The Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model was used as the baseline for predicting PM2.5. An MLR extends simple linear regression to include more than one explanatory variable, producing a multivariate model. The equation for the line in MLR modeling takes the form of Equation 1 β0 is the y-intercept (constant term) βp is the slope coefficients for each explanatory variable and ϵ is the model's error term (also known as the residuals) where f^(x) is the result of the RF non-linear regression and T(x) is the result of each regression tree the RF model was created for predicting the hourly and daily mass concentrations of PM2.5 (dependent variable) using meteorological and boundary layer height variables described in Section 2.1 as predictive (independent) variables After calculating hourly and daily averages and cleaning missing data the dataset was divided into 80% of training and 20% of test datasets This division was made using a method to split arrays or matrices into random train and test subsets with a random state that controls the shuffling applied to the data before applying the split to ensure reproducible output across multiple function calls A total of 1,000 decision trees were used to apply the random forest regression method which is a meta estimator that fits a number of decision tree regressors on various sub-samples of the dataset and uses averaging to improve the predictive accuracy and control over-fitting The performances of the MLR baseline estimation and RF model were calculated and compared for hourly and daily averages as well as the importance of each predictor variable in the RF model which means that the PM2.5 concentration was taken as the same as the previous hour (or day) on the current hour (or day) Following the same procedure as for the RF model and 20% of data were used in Naive's forecasting representing the test data comprising the period from 17 March 2022 to 4 October 2022 The forecast errors were calculated and used as the reference for LSTM model as described in the next section of performance metrics The target for the LSTM model was PM2.5 concentration values at the subsequent timestep the forecast horizon was set to 1 h or 1 day We have varied the number of timesteps for the LSTM to look backward (window size) while predicting from 1 to 35 We have tested and compared different window sizes and hidden units while predicting and the first 80% of the time series was used for training and the last 20% of data was used for testing the model The LSTM final architecture has 2 and 3 hidden layers with 64 neurons each for hourly and daily models Data were preprocessed using a method to standardize features by removing the mean and scaling to unit variance A standard LSTM code was written and optimized using the PyTorch package; we have used mean squared error (squared L2 norm) for the loss function and Stochastic Gradient Descent for the optimizer The LSTM performance errors were calculated and compared with Naive's model The mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), and an accuracy metric were used to assess the prediction and forecast quality and compare the results of MLR with RF and of Naive estimation with LSTM. In Equations 3–6 below oi and pi represent the measured and predicted value and ō denotes the mean of all measured values MAE (mean absolute error) is the arithmetic mean of the absolute deviations between the measured and predicted values of the sample, as shown in Equation 3 The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) expresses the prediction or forecast error as a percentage and can be calculated from Equation 4 RMSE (root mean square error) of a sample is the quadratic mean of the differences between the observed values and predicted ones. It reflects the prediction accuracy and its calculation formula is shown in Equation 5 The coefficient of determination (R2) reflects the proportion of all variations of the dependent variable that can be explained by the independent variable through the regression relationship and can be calculated by Equation 6 The accuracy metric (ACC) is a percentage value, which depends on the MAPE and is calculated using Equation 7 Figure 2 shows the daily profile of each variable with the lines representing the average in each hour of the day. From Figure 2B it can be observed that the number of vehicles is an important source of particle emission in Curitiba and that the PM2.5 concentration has one peak approximately 7 a.m We note the effect of solar radiation in heating the surface as represented by the increased wind velocity during the day Changes in relative humidity and winds may also affect particle dynamics Daily profile with hourly averages of the dataset variables: (A) PM2.5 concentration and wind direction; (D) precipitation and air pressure Shaded areas represent confidence interval of 95% Multiple linear regression (MLR) for hourly time scale PM2.5 prediction, which is indicated by the dependent variable PM 2.5H (μg/m3), is shown in Equation 8. The following independent variables from Equation 8 are hourly averages: TH is air temperature (°C) and HH is planetary boundary layer height (m) MLR for daily time scale prediction of PM2.5 concentration, which is indicated by the dependent variable PM 2.5D (μg/m3), is described by Equation 9. The following independent variables from Equation 9 are daily averages: TD is air temperature (°C) and HD is planetary boundary layer height (m) Table 1 summarizes the errors for test data using hourly and daily averages for the studied models (Random Forest and Multiple Linear Regression used for prediction, LSTM, and Naive models used for forecasting). All forecasts shown in Table 1 used window size equal to one (hour or day) and PM2.5 concentration as input data Summary of prediction and forecast performance results which probably contributed to the observed decrease in PM concentration RF predictions against measured PM2.5 concentration in Curitiba for the validation period considering: (A) hourly averages and (B) daily averages Test data time series of measured and predicted PM2.5 concentration in Curitiba using RF Fine particles and vehicle count data were resampled using (A) hourly and (B) daily averages RF model accuracy was higher compared with MLR in all cases and RSME errors decrease and R2 value increase The daily average of the RF model provided the highest accuracy value there was a reduction in errors and an increase in the R2 value and accuracy using the RF model there was a greater increase in accuracy compared with MLR on the hourly scale while the increase on the daily scale was only 0.07% The increase in the R2 value and the decrease in errors when using the RF model were also more noticeable on the hourly scale than on the daily scale The RF algorithm was able to select the most important variables for predicting PM2.5. Figure 5 shows the most important predictors used by RF model for hourly and daily averages The importances in RF are computed as the mean and standard deviation of accumulation of the impurity decrease within each tree RF importance of the input variables for predicting PM2.5 concentration in Curitiba considering: (A) hourly averages and (B) daily averages Boundary layer height was the most important variable and relative humidity was the third most important for both time scale predictions: hour and day There was a distinction between the other variables considering the hourly and daily averages which exchanged between the second and second-to-last most important variables Precipitation remained the least important variable and vehicle count rose from the fifth most important variable to the third in the analysis of daily averages the accuracy value for the LSTM model was very close to Naive's and associated errors changed according to the size of window (look back period) and the number of hidden layers It was also checked whether increasing the number of input variables could improve the performance of LSTM compared with Naive for hourly and daily scenarios Description of scenarios and input variables used in each LSTM hour forecast model LSTM 1-h forecast performance metrics for different input scenarios as we increased the looking back window size The metrics are: (A) Accuracy (B) MAE (C) MAPE for scenario 5 with a window size equal to or greater than 10 Similar to the analysis of hourly averages, the most important variables found in the RF model with daily averages were added to the LSTM model, maintaining the same window size and using 3 hidden layers, hidden dimension of 64, and 150 epochs for training. Table 3 describes each scenario for the daily time scale (D1 and the LSTM and Naive model's evaluation metrics Summary of Naive and LSTM model's performance results for different scenarios using daily averages of input variables and window size equal to 1 day Test data time series of measured and predicted daily concentration of PM2.5 in Curitiba using LSTM with window size equal to 1 day vehicle count and particulate matter concentrations were higher than in 2021 and 2020 This behavior is associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in which vehicle circulation decreased due to the lockdown in the City of Curitiba there was a decrease in PM2.5 concentration peaks during 2020–2021 Even though the LSTM was trained with lower values corresponding to the period of the pandemic the model was able to forecast the PM2.5 concentration in 2022 The data gathered in this research provide important information about the City of Curitiba especially the relationship between number of vehicles and concentration of fine particles the models for prediction and forecasting indicated that Random Forest and LSTM model were good estimators of PM2.5 concentration Model's performance was analyzed using measured data from Curitiba RF had better results for prediction compared with MLR reaching 99.37% of accuracy at daily time scale The lowest accuracy in prediction was the one that considered the hourly time scale using MLR models at daily scale performed better compared with models at hourly scale The RF model identified boundary layer height as the most important input variable for both time scales and precipitation as the less important and relative humidity contributed significantly to predictions at hourly and daily scales The inputs recognized as most important in RF prediction (BLH and vehicle count) were also important for LSTM forecast The results of the LSTM model showed sensible variation depending mainly on model's looking back window size and inputs sometimes reaching or exceeding the values found in the Naive model with a maximum accuracy of 99.71% found on hourly scale with window size equal to 5 h LSTM model had better performance compared with Naive's in forecasting at daily scale Because of its ability to exploit the sequential nature of the data LSTM network have the tendency to outperform Naive model Data showed the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on vehicle circulation and fine particulate matter concentration in Curitiba LSTM neural network was trained with pandemic data and was able to generate good forecasts for PM2.5 concentration in 2022 RF and LSTM proved to be good models for the prediction of fine particles and forecasting in Curitiba Our results help the physical understanding of factors influencing pollutant dispersion from vehicle emissions at the lower atmosphere in urban environment we recommend the application and comparison of other models to predict and forecast PM2.5 as well as testing larger window sizes to verify if it is possible to improve the performance of the model It is also suggested to include vehicle information categorized by type or fuel as input variables of the models The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author Writing – review & editing The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research This work was partially financed by CAPES-Brazil—Finance Code 001 the CNPq-Brazil—Universal Call (grant agreement no the Estonian Research Council (grant PRG 1674) and the European Union's Horizon 492 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (grant agreement no The authors are grateful to Erasmus+ Eesti Maaülikool (EMÜ) staff mobility program and to the Network on Environmental Monitoring and Modeling (RESMA) project from Federal University of Parana (UFPR)—Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)—Institutional Internationalization Program (PRINT) for facilitating the exchange of researchers between Brazil and Estonia The authors also would like to thank company Perkons for providing data and support The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher Air pollution abatement performances of green infrastructure in open road and built-up street canyon environments a review and brake-wear emission factors from on-road vehicles Vehicle emissions and PM2.5 mass concentrations in six Brazilian cities Designing vegetation barriers for urban air pollution abatement: a practical review for appropriate plant species 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UFPE © Copyright 2025 - Todos os direitos reservados On 29 March 2023, Curitiba officially launched its Solar Pyramid a landmark project representing the first solar plant to be built on a former landfill in Latin America The project was supported by C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF) which recognises that one of the biggest barriers cities face when developing climate mitigation and resilience projects is access to finance Through its focus on sectors including transport mobility the CFF serves a crucial role in helping cities access finance to deliver a green and just transition.  alongside more than 30 other low-carbon and climate-resilient urban projects from around the world received support from the CFF for a solar project using photovoltaic cells (PV) on a deactivated landfill site in Caximba as well as technical assistance to develop rooftop solar projects on four bus terminals in the city The Solar Pyramid project has been an outstanding success It serves as an example to cities across Brazil and Latin America of how to deliver clean affordable energy while reducing a city’s dependence on an urban energy grid that is often reliant on fossil fuels Curitiba sources almost the entirety of its energy from hydroelectric power the city has to rely on fossil gas and coal plants to supplement energy shortages Before the project was given the green light, Curitiba was aiming to achieve energy resilience reduce its dependence on the grid and increase its share of clean energy The city was also looking to adopt a more sustainable model for financing a transition to renewable energy that could also be replicated at other sites throughout the city As well as the significant energy and cost savings the project also included a partnership between AB Solar and the city to collect gender-disaggregated data on employment in the solar sector to better understand where gender-specific barriers to employment exist and enable greater gender inclusivity in the planning and implementation stages of the project Curitiba has gained critical insight into how best to scale the project’s successes with around 2,600 public buildings throughout the city deemed appropriate sites for a similar PV project Key to the success of any similar project is close collaboration between different government departments from the project’s inception adopting a holistic approach with internal and external stakeholders identifying relevant environmental and tax laws and finding strong financial partners to secure favourable interest rates on financing and will have the capacity to supply an estimated 9,180 MWh of electricity per year enough to supply about five thousand homes.  the CFF is working with the city to install a large-scale solar power plant This will help the city become more resilient in the face of frequent blackouts providing even low-income South Africans with affordable and reliable electricity CFF has also provided technical support and advice to additional Brazilian cities – Belo Horizonte Ponta Grossa and a consortium of several cities in the state of Paraná referred to as Paraná Cidades – to implement solar projects based on Curitiba’s experience a total of 18 Brazilian cities (including 15 non-C40 cities) have expressed their interest by attending a series of conferences and seminars that shared the technical knowledge created by the Solar Pyramid project and identified how cities could apply Curitiba’s model to advance their projects.  Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur – are already starting to follow Curitiba’s lead realising the potential to repurpose disused landfill sites for renewable energy implement gender inclusivity and develop energy resilience cities can decarbonise their urban energy grid and deliver a cleaner and more sustainable future for everyone We use cookies. Learn more about how in our Privacy Policy Jaime Lerner led the movement that transformed Curitiba into an environmentally friendly ‘laboratory for urban planning’ ‘We had to work fast to avoid our own bureaucracy’ “He wanted a city that would represent Brazil So I dedicated myself to finding a new solution Niemeyer, along with the architect Lúcio Costa, designed the city to look like a bird in flight – a network of highways in the wings, and the administrative offices in its head. Among political elites, if not all architecture critics Brasília was viewed as a triumph over Brazil’s urban chaos A thousand miles to the south in the city of Curitiba capital of the agricultural state of Paraná urban planners were hard at work replicating the Brasília model New lanes would be added to Curitiba’s downtown roads with historic buildings demolished to make room for them A new viaduct would link with the central square at Rua Quinze de Novembro to ease traffic congestion “But we said no!” exclaims Jaime Lerner. The former mayor of Curitiba is speaking over the phone from his office in Curitiba, where he now directs his eponymous private architecture firm Lerner was a recently graduated architecture student leading a movement against the existing mayor’s vision of a Curitiba for cars Alden Square in Curitiba One of Lerner’s first major projects as mayor was to pedestrianise parts of the city Photograph: AlamyOver the next two decades – first as planner then as mayor – Lerner would develop a radically different vision for Curitiba: “It was a change in the conception of the city Most cities in South America separate urban functions – by income “Curitiba is not a paradise,” Lerner insists “But it is a model for many cities in the world dramatic pause: “Because in about two decades a few young professionals made some very important changes.” Curitiba is an unlikely setting for such radical innovation the city was little more than an outpost for travellers moving between São Paulo and the surrounding agricultural regions a place where cattle drivers would hibernate in the winter en route to their next destination When a wave of European immigration hit southern Brazil Curitiba’s sleepy farmland was an obvious attraction developing their own local industries and beginning to populate the downtown area with churches Jaime Lerner was mayor of Curitiba three times Curitiba’s growth was impossible to contain The mechanisation of soybean production pushed Paraná’s agricultural workers off their land and into the city the city’s population more than doubled – from 140,000 to 360,000 residents Curitiba was quickly becoming the archetypal Brazilian mid-size city Favelas grew around its periphery; cars jammed into its centre Curitiba’s planners could do little to regulate their city’s chaos. In 1964, following Brazil’s military coup mayor Ivo Arzua solicited a new masterplan to guide Curitiba toward growth his government held a series of seminars known as “Curitiba of Tomorrow” seeking to convince the public on the merits of the new masterplan “But as usual, from 1965 to 1970, nothing happened,” says Jonas Rabinovitch, a UN senior adviser and former planner at the Curitiba Research and Urban Planning Institute (IPPUC) Despite Arzua’s best intentions the plan remained in the drawer set up in 1965 to implement this masterplan “The institute was basically colouring paper Lerner and a team of architects at the IPPUC were determined to turn this tide – “and they started at the exact right time,” according to Rabinovitch it could have been too late for Curitiba.” and the IPPUC moved into the driving seat: “When Jaime became mayor the plan finally began to transform into a reality,” Rabinovitch says Lerner’s first project in 1972 earned him an early reputation as an enforcer He proposed transforming the Rua Quinze de Novembro from an automobile thoroughfare into a pedestrian mall the shopkeepers were furious with the mayor,” Rabinovitch says “People had the habit of stopping their cars in front of the stores But that meant that when the shops closed down The shopkeepers organised resistance to the new plan and resolved to file an injunction to stop it – a typical tactic for arresting the implementation of urban projects in Brazil Curitiba became a model for quality public transport with policies including the rapid bus transit system you always have a big resistance,” Lerner says Then we realised we had to have a demonstration effect.” So Lerner took the plan to his director of public works saying: “I need this [built] in 48 hours .. wily or both – prepared to begin work at sundown that very Friday waiting only until after the city’s courthouse had closed so that shopkeepers could no longer file their injunction “If I’d received a juridical demand to stop the project we would never have made it,” Lerner recalls “So we finished in 72 hours – Friday night to Monday night one of the merchants who wrote the petition to stop the work told me: ‘Keep this petition as a souvenir The project encapsulates Lerner’s planning philosophy: act now “We had to work fast to avoid our own bureaucracy because sometimes we start to think: ‘That’s a good idea but I cannot make it happen.’ So the key issue in Curitiba was to start – we had the courage to start.” When I press Lerner on the political implications of this kind of strong-arming – which some have described as a “technocratic approach without participation” – he has a ready response: “Democracy is not consensus Democracy is a conflict that is well managed It’s about how you manage that conflict – sometimes for the minority Today Curitiba boasts more than 50 sq metres of green space per person Photograph: AlamyGuided by this learning-by-doing philosophy Curitiba became a laboratory for urban planning innovation Lerner and the IPPUC introduced a new street design that provided express lanes for buses Passengers would board from new stations along the medians of the city’s main streets so that buses could move uninterrupted through the city most planners were calling for the development of extensive subway systems as the cutting-edge mode of urban transport But Lerner was – and remains – a major advocate of surface transport while critical of subway projects that drain public funds and disrupt city life As one of his most oft-cited sayings goes: “If you want creativity as buses became both the cheapest and fastest mode of transport But Lerner and his planners were not satisfied he observed that the inflow and outflow of passengers was dragging the speed of the bus at each station Three innovations followed: a new system of raised platforms (the futuristic “tube” station system for which Curitiba has grown famous) that allow passengers to move straight from the station into the bus without the hassle of stairs; longer buses to add extra capacity to the fleet; and a system of pre-payment so that bus drivers do not have to issue tickets and collect money on the go Curitiba’s futuristic ‘tube’ station system for buses Photograph: AlamyThe impact was marked: today roughly 85% of Curitiba uses the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) “It’s about creating a complete network,” Lerner explains while the London subway carries three million.” His pride in the system is clear: “We started BRT in 1974; now 300 cities around the world are using it.” the social implications for the city were all-important “We realised people were taking such a long time to get to the city centre,” Rabinovitch says “So the idea was to incorporate the essential features of a subway system – and in doing that people coming from the periphery were spending 20 to 25 minutes less per journey.” “Garbage removal is a citizen responsibility.” Alongside these efforts to clean the city were new programmes to green it Curitiba had only one park at the Passeio Público downtown; today it has more than 50 sq metres of green space per person – compared to neighbouring Buenos Aires’s two per person Lerner and his team were aggressive in developing parks and city gardens and in protecting the city’s main river Iguacu from being channelised along concrete walls According to Lerner: ‘When you look at the parks the architecture is just great because it is silent architecture.’ Photograph: AlamyLerner focuses less on these big projects than on the smallest details of sustainable planning the private architecture is normal – some terrible buildings wooden poles from the energy company and used them for all the architecture in the parks – so existing tree poles could substitute concrete poles .. Curitiba’s list of accolades generates some suspicion Did Curitiba really avoid so many pitfalls of planning in Latin America The short answer, according to Bill McKibben – an environmentalist and author who writes extensively on the city in Hope, Human, and Wild – is yes: “Curitibanos were cynical themselves, and somewhat introverted – they are not the gregarious Brazilians of Rio or Recife. But against their own conservatism, they came to like their city a lot.” “Many people ask me about how Curitiba did all this,” says Rabinovitch. “They say the population of Curitiba is more educated, or more European. But what we usually say is that the population is not made by Swiss clockmakers. Up to 8% of Curitiba still lives in favelas; it is not a socio-economic island within the Brazilian context.” Read moreYet for Rabinovitch and many others, Curitiba still offers inspiration: “When I go to visit my mother-in-law in Jardim das Americas this doesn’t happen – growth was unplanned Since Lerner’s departure, Curitiba has begun a backslide that threatens its status as the singular case of enlightened planning and crime statistics continue to linger around national averages Yet Curitiba’s early accomplishments remain But there is still ownership by the population,” says Rabinovitch No one would be so crazy as to eliminate the pedestrian streets now or to pull down the old buildings and construct high-rises “Politics is about providing a collective dream,” Lerner says “and creating a scenario that everyone can understand and see is desirable Does your city have a little-known story that made a major impact on its development Please share it in the comments below or on Twitter using #storyofcities Curitiba is taking advantage of the existing waterfalls from artificial lakes in its parks to generate clean energy for the city The installation of the first Hydroelectric Energy Generator (CGH) is set to produce clean energy without damaging the environment This is thanks to the energy efficiency program of Curitiba City Hall which also encompasses new legislation that allows the use of public spaces to produce renewable energy The project was accompanied by an environmental impact assessment concluding that there is no change on the lake’s flow rate nor issues for the animals The hydroelectric energy reduces the necessity of using thermoelectric plants which corresponds to 14% of the Brazilian energy matrix and contribute to the municipal resources savings providing a landscape structure around the CGH to disclose environmental and educational actions to the benefit of the population and to the preservation of the environment and actions to tackle climate change It is the first Hydroelectric Power Plant of Curitiba with a potential to generate 30Kw of electricity and the first to utilize the Archimedes' screw principle It is a project that encompasses environmental protection production of clean energy and environmental awareness Climate change is already causing an impact on the city The CGH has the objective to reduce the city’s GHG emissions producing clean energy taking advantage of the existing lakes while preserving their biodiversity and reducing neighbouring population vulnerability The project is first being implanted in Bairgui Park There are currently two more in development The Hydroelectric Energy Generator Plan in Barigui park has the potential to generate 30Kw The CGH in São Lourenço Park has the potential of more 30Kw while the Lago Azul Park of another 1Kw the generation started in July 2019 will be at least duplicated We use cookies. Learn more about how in our Privacy Policy. Among Brazil’s state capitals, Curitiba is considered a pioneer in sustainable urban planning. The vision for its approach goes back to the early 1970s – well before most of the world even considered sustainability. This week, CGTN correspondent Paulo Cabral begins a five-part series on this progressive city – now seen as a model for responsible growth. In Part One, he introduces us to the man behind its innovative journey. Recycling is an important part of any city’s efforts to become more sustainable. But getting people to participate is often a challenge. CGTN’s Paulo Cabral is looking at the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba – seen as a model for urban sustainability. In the second part of the series, Cabral breaks down the city’s ‘Green Exchange’ program. In Curitiba, Brazil, people are trading in their recyclables for produce. Trucks of food stop by each neighborhood twice a month, where residents are lining up to trade. It’s a spin on bringing produce from ‘farm to table,’ that also encourages people to recycle.  Disaster risk reduction is an essential element of sustainable urban development. ​And in many cities, the biggest disaster risk comes in the form of flooding. That’s certainly the case in Curitiba, Brazil. Our correspondent Paulo Cabral shows us how Curitiba has mitigated flooding through the strategic planning of urban lakes and green spaces. Sustainable development is impossible without protections for an area’s ecosystem and its native plants and animals. And few creatures are as crucial to the planet’s health as bees since most food crops depend on their work as pollinators. All this week, CGTN has been putting a spotlight on the city of Curitiba, Brazil, and its pioneering work toward sustainability. Volume 2 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2021.644309 The pandemic that the world has been facing since Jan-2020 has promoted rapid changes in the form of consumption and service provision Reusing raw materials in their production lines companies and volunteers produced masks for mandatory use by the population of some countries such as Brazil This brief period energized an economy that until then seemed to be dormant In view of this scenario that took shape in the world the present study aimed to assess how this pandemic affected sewing professionals' enterprises contributing to an income generation and to a possible sustainable practice The level of circularity was evaluated through a questionnaire and interviews as it was impossible to visit the ateliers The survey of enterprise circularity was based on basic principles of circular economy from Ellen MacArthur Foundation The questions were made considering some features like level of knowledge about the theme The prospecting of the potential interviewers was carried out through a digital platform in the month of September-2020 Results obtained by fabric remnants mass balance indicated some level of circularity in the production mode of seamstresses during the pandemic is the high demand for masks allied to the search for customization by consumers This represents the main obstacles to maintaining circularity in the production process Based on observations made in a previous work (Corrêa and Corrêa, 2020) enterprises were selected that had started because of the demands for PPEs used to control the pandemic spread The selection of organizations was based on geography and regional impact enterprises associated with the manufacture of non-disposable masks for use by the general population and with characteristics of a family business were analyzed it was possible to include in the present work entrepreneurial activities aimed at fighting Covid-19: civil organization initiatives In Brazil, the National Solid Waste Policy (Brasil, 2010) encourages circular economy practices ensuring that products are reintegrated into the production chain with a resulting reduction in solid waste and recycling so that products and services circulate in the production chain In the case of self-employed professionals, who are hardly unionized or registered as an individual micro entrepreneur (MEI), the collection of information regarding the number of seamstresses in the city of Curitiba-BR was carried out in official databases. However, the prospecting was carried out through a digital platform— “Mapa de Máscaras” (bWFwYWRlbWFzY2FyYXMuY29tLmJy) whose objective is to stimulate the local economy giving visibility to he/she seamstresses who make reusable masks according to information contained in that very site This platform was very important due to the lack of official information and to the still informal and unregulated nature of the seamstresses' activity (Bordin, 2019). Thus, the survey was carried out using the above-mentioned “Mapa de Máscaras” platform (bWFwYWRlbWFzY2FyYXMuY29tLmJy) The survey was elaborated intending to check evidences of reuse of fabric in the process of manufacturing It was used to investigate when the local professionals commenced producing face masks This data was important to evaluate the level of knowledge of demand from the sewing professionals interviews were made through messages (emails or mobile) And more data were obtained to identify some circularity at ateliers The information about quantity of fabric reuse raw material used and others were employed to material balance calculating The data were included in a spreadsheet and treated The questionnaire consisting of five questions was sent to those professionals. All questions were oriented in such a way as to easily identify any indication of the application of circular economy in their business. The questions are presented in Table 1 Questionnaire applied to the professional seamstresses From the information collected from the above-mentioned site, 71 registered professionals were identified in Curitiba-Br. Figure 1 shows the areas where they work Districts of Curitiba where production of reusable masks was identified The questions were sent exclusively via the phone message application. The percentage of responses was 30%. Out of this group, 95% of the interviewed started to make masks in the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in Curitiba-Br. The others already produced masks for health professional and for other purposes. Figure 2 shows the minimum sales values practiced in the city Variation in the minimum sale price practiced in Curitiba-Br based on data collected from the “Mapa de Máscaras” platform This consumer profile becomes the main barrier to the maintenance of a circular production process since remnants of fabric cease to be used as a result of consumer demands As for the fabrics used for making masks, Figure 3 shows the most common types As for the use of fabrics, one observes that most of the reusable masks available are produced with cotton. This datum is in line with the recommendations of the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA-Br), which indicates the preferred use of fabrics containing cotton [Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, 2020] Although the same Agency indicates the possibility of using synthetic Non-Woven Fabric (NWF) most masks produced are not made with this material This testifies the commitment of professional seamstresses to the safety of their customers Figure 4 shows the average prices of supplies obtained from the site: centerfabril.com.br Average prices of fabrics used do make reusable masks Although simple NWF has a lower value among the listed supplies, it is still the least used fabric by professional seamstresses. This choice is probably due to the ANVISA's recommendations, endorsing the seamstresses' commitment to the safety and quality of the product to be delivered, so much valued by customers and characteristics common to those professionals, as Novaes (2016) observed so well Figure 5 illustrates the monthly production capacity and the calculated average considering all seamstresses one notices the heterogeneity in the production rhythm among professionals the lowest production capacity was 10 masks/month The maximum production calculated was 2,000 masks/month The average production capacity obtained considering the production by all professionals was 457 masks/month the tasks in a studio are performed according to the professionals' expectations each seamstress has his/her own work organization characterizing the dynamics and diversity of their craft This information corroborates the results obtained in Curitiba-Br which demonstrated the same specific character identified in the case study by Novaes (2016) Parameters used to calculate the estimated quantity of masks produced with remnants of fabric in Curitiba-Br Having as reference 100%-cotton white fabric it is estimated that in the analyzed period about 150 kg of fabric were reused just for making masks Projecting the values for the remaining 50% of the seamstresses that use remnants it is estimated that an amount of up to 300 kg of fabrics were reincorporated into the production process almost 37% refer to the products that were designed based on reusable fabrics and Another limitation is due to the technical issue Depending on the type of remnant generated in the studios many of them do not have the minimum dimensions necessary to be used in making masks The current Covid-19 pandemic crisis stimulated entrepreneurship among people in Curitiba-Brazil The seamstresses segment was one of the first to readjust to the demands required by the population The sewing professionals demonstrated a high capacity to understand the market demand starting the production of masks in line with the evolution of the pandemic in that city In a scenario of scarcity of disposable masks combined with the guidelines of the State and the Municipal Health Departments these professionals made reusable masks to be used by the general population using cotton as their preferred fabric according to guidelines of the ANVISA and the World Health Organization This testifies the degree of commitment to customer safety Although many seamstresses use remnants of fabric to make their masks this use was restricted to this type of production just in the first month of work The high demand for masks together with the search for customization by consumers were the main obstacles to maintaining circularity in the production process since remnants were not intended for the purpose of a clientele looking for exclusivity Despite the existing barrier to the use of masks made with remnants of fabric and the likely drop in sales due to a possible future reduction in the mandatory use the current period can be an opportunity for diversifying customers including attracting those whose consumption habit is guided by principles of environmental issues The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors The first draft of the manuscript was written by HC All authors contributed to the study conception commented on previous versions of the manuscript The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest The authors would like to thank all sewing professionals in Curitiba-Brazil for their initiative and excellent work in promoting health and sustainability Closing the loop on circular economy research: From theory to practice and back again Google Scholar Brasil (2010). 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