A City Its Mayor
It might not be a surprise to find that life in affluent cities is improving But what about cities that aren't rich? The city of Curitiba, Brazil, that it's possible for even a city in a developing country to offer a good life its residents. The former mayor of Curitiba for 25 years, Jaime Lerner, is architect and a very practical person. Under his leadership, the city planners established a list of priorities-in other words, a list of what was most important to work on. They decided to focus on the environment and on the 20 quality of life. With an average income of only about s2,000 per person per year, Curitiba has the same problems as many cities. However, it also has some creative solutions.
Garbage Collection
garbage collection-Cambio One creative solution is the method of Verde, or Green Exchange. This does far more than clean the streets of trash. In neighborhoods that garbage trucks can't reach, poor people bring bags of trash to special centers. At these centers, they exchange the trash for fresh produce such as potatoes and oranges. They receive one kilo of produce for every four kilos of trash that they bring in. At a recycling plant, workers separate glass bottles, plastic, and cans from other trash. Two-thirds of Curitiba's garbage is recycled, which is good for the environment. And the plant gives jobs to the poorest people, which improves their lives.