RIchard Register, on behalf of Fiona Ma, presented Jaime Lerner with an award of recognition for his accomplishments and influence on the State of California.
Here’s video, followed by a 5 minute interview with Mr. Lerner.
Ecocity favorite and one of our past featured presenters Jaime Lerner recently gave a very enlightening and humorous lecture on urban planning at the annual TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference. Jaime really knows what he’s talking about, and as the former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil he has the track record to prove it. Curitiba is an amazing example of what we can do with today’s technology and tomorrow’s thinking. Listening to Jaime talk about his ideas is sure to make you laugh – and think.
“With maverick flair and a strategist’s disdain for accepted wisdom, Jaime Lerner re-invented urban space in his native Curitiba, Brazil. Along the way he managed to revolutionize bus transit, awaken green consciousness in a populace accustomed to litter and blight, and change the way city planners and bureaucrats world-wide conceive what’s possible within the tangled structure of the metropolitan landscape. “
Maria Terezinha Vaz, an Ecocity presenter and special guest, is the producer of A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil, an informative, inspirational documentary aimed at sharing ideas to provoke environment-friendly and cost-effective changes in cities worldwide.
The documentary focuses on innovations in transportation, recycling, social benefits including affordable housing, seasonal parks, and the processes that transformed Curitiba into one of the most livable cities in the world.
Through photography, Maria Terezinha Vaz integrates other passions, some of them lifelong. Trains, train tracks, the patterns and geometry of the rails and the machinery, have always held a fascination for her. She highly values historical and cultural preservation such as the Mayan land in Mexico, especially the sacred city of Chichen Itza. Preservation of the natural environment is also of great importance to her.
Preview:
The film includes interviews from world renowned Curitiba’s mayors Jaime Lerner and Cassio Tanigushi, as well as other brilliant minds who made Curitiba a world class model.
If you are interested in learning more about the specifics of many of Curitiba’s programs, take a look at her web page on the project, organized into the following:
Brazilian urban planning guru, Jaime Lerner, has cracked the problem of getting a city to run well. His idea - to put people before cars - has vastly improved residents’ quality of life.
Lerner has revolutionised transport in his hometown of Curitiba, diverting traffic around the centre. Huge pedestrian areas and parks have replaced busy roads and congestion has been tackled with an efficient bus service. As Lerner explains; “If you want to make life better for people, make the cities better.”
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Architecture, City Planning, Community, Development, Ecocities, Economics, Government, Green, Green Building, Jaime Lerner, Live Blogging, Protecting & Restoring, richard register | Tagged: California Assembly, Eco City, Ecocity, Fiona Ma, Jaime Lerner, Jaime Lerner Video | 
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