Curitiba, Brazil: A Wonderful City
HAVANA TIMES – Curitiba, the capital of Parana State in southern Brazil, is one of the best cities in the country. With its broad opportunities for employment all year long; good quality social services, such as health and education; and relatively little violence, Curitiba continues to be a destination for thousands of foreign and national migrants.
Internationally, it’s earned praise as a well-organized city with an incredibly sound balance between industry and green spaces; between private businesses and institutions; between buildings, streets and homes; and with abundant areas for recreation and leisure.
It is no wonder it has been called “the Vienna of America.”
Its local government prides itself on maintaining meticulous care, even in the few areas where marginality and crime threaten public decorum. This is not always achieved, but even the sun has spots.
The city invests a significant amount of money in repairing its streets, creating gardens, caring for flowers, and also in social assistance programs. Most of these are channeled through the CRAS (Social Assistance Reference Centers), which are subordinate to the SUAS (Unified Social Assistance System) of Brazil.
Here, they offer monetary help for low-income families, support for elders who are isolated from their families, information in cases of domestic violence, and guidance on rights and public services.
Personally, I’ve been surprised by the courtesy of its citizens, they way they care for the plants and animals, and their concern for donating their belongings, when they’re no longer needed but still in good condition.
The city has a project (SEPARE) for exchanging food ingredients, in which they send trucks every two weeks to different parts of the city to collect “o lixo que não e lixo” [“the garbage that’s not garbage”], and exchange it for vegetables and fruits.
They have free public parks where families can stroll, take their children to play on equipment, or see exotic animals. Although some other parks charge an entrance fee, the prices are affordable for any worker’s salary.
To illustrate the care and pride that Curitiba residents take in their city, the street I’ve been riding my bicycle down for the last ten months on my way to work has been repaired three times in just that period, in addition, to having upgraded the planters once. And that’s merely a short and unimportant street in the semi-marginalized sector of the neighborhood where I live.
Not everything is perfect in Curitiba. As in any of the world’s cities, crime and drugs stalk in the shadows. There are homeless people living on the streets. But there are also opportunities to do an honest job and pay for the services you need to live.
If you choose well, you’ll experience that part of the city that has earned the right to be compared with the first world.