Jaime Lerner

Curitiba is not a paradise. We have all the problems that most Latin American cities have. We have slums. We have the same difficulties, but the big difference is the respect given by people due to the quality of the services which are provided.

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I always run into these Ph.D.s. They write and write and write about sustainable development. Then these guys ask me, 'But, how do you do it?' They are scared to death to do anything.

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Sometimes the media gives us the impression that we are terminal patients, because of problems of global warmth or the ozone layer. And the people, they don't understand that they can could change this situation for the better if they could act locally in a city.

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There is no place in a city that can't be better. There is no toad that can't be a princess, no frog that can't become a prince.

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A system of bus rapid transit is not only dedicated lanes. You have to have really good boarding conditions - that means paying before entering the bus and boarding at the same level. And at the same time having a good schedule and frequency.

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If you provide good alternatives for public transport, you won't have traffic problems.

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A city grows like an organism. It is a structure of living and working together a mix of functions.

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If you want creativity, take a zero off your budget. If you want sustainability, take off two zeros.

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Quotes by Jaime Lerner