I live in Bigorrilho, on Padre Anchieta - one of the major transportation and density axis. North from Padre Anchieta, I have the Parque Barigüi, and South lays the district Batel. Those transportation and density axis are very important in Curitiba; they were developped by Jaime Lerner under one of his terms as mayor of the city. The concept is to combine land use incentives and transportation infrastructure to promote easy access and mobility through the city, reduce the traffic congestion and orientate the growth of the city (hereby avoiding a random sprawl). This means that along those major axis, residential functions are promoted in high rise building, so that as many people live close by the transportation that will bring them to work, leisure activities and so on. The principle is simple and effective. The congestion in Curitiba went down and the bus system is used by a huge part of the population.
Typical transportation axis
Nonetheless the car industry has lowered its prices, making the ownership of a car something quite common, even among students. Furthermore the car is a status emblem: if you have money, the first thing you buy is a car. New projects need thus to be developped to support the first intention of Jaime Lerner.
Those axis are as well very functional in the mental mapping of the city: go towards the high rise buildings and you know you will eventually reach an express bus line - the tubo. The aim of my walk was to cross from one axis to another and see how areas between those axis are constituated and how they look like.
Avenida Sete de Setembro - Batel
Approaching Avenida Sete de Setembro - high rise buildings, of which the furthest one actually has some kind of greek-temple-like top! Talking about styles...
I walk up toward Praça da Ucrânia. On Fridays a little food market gather people from the neighbourhood for a little evening snack. It should be very convivial - haven't had the chance to go yet though. From there on, I start my crossing of Batel, from Padre Anchieta to Avenida Sete de Setembro. On the road, attraction stops are Castelo do Batel, a little castle in the middle of the city, mostly used as restaurant and reception hall, and Praça do Japão. Then moving down the tubo line to Praça Eufrasio Correia, where I usually change busses when I go work but where I actually never stopped and walked.
The crossing - First the buildings let me present the buildings you find on those major axis. High rise is one fact, but the architectonic expression is another. It does look like any harmonising incentive exist here, but one thing is for sure: we like tiled facades! Architects from here consider it as 'nouveau riche' bad taste. - apparently a trend that should derive from São Paulo. Well, yes, it is a bit funny, but those tiles do give colours, and some kind of weft to the building, plus it catches beautifully the sunlight.
Examples of facades
Walking along the axis, you still come across houses, proper two/three storey building with a sloped roof and all, squeezed in between the high appartment buildings. And those become more regular as you walk away from the transportation axis. The amount of storeys drops, and not only houses are seen, but very different types and styles! It becomes more and more obvious that Curitiba is a city of contrasts.
Padre Anchieta - houses squeezed in between high rise appartment buildings
Another house-type on the way
I reach the square where is situated the military hospital - a beautiful building, fitting the lines and ideas of an European modernistic establishment from the 1920's. But its proper edification year is unknown to me. In general, I come across many square and green pocket parcs on my city walks. It is certainly a quality of Curitiba - which diserves really its nick name as green/ecological city, in that sense at least. These places are not only potentials for the reduction of floodings in urban districts, a better air quality and a support to the area livability in terms of environment; they support as well a kind of social sustainability. Even though Brazil is a segregated country, when it comes to social and economical 'classes', even though the neighbourhood characteristics (rich, fancy, poor e.a.) are visible, you meet on the squares young couples sitting on benches, homeless sleeping on the benches, children playing around, mums and dads walking with the baby buggy, people walking their dog, young skate-boarders and bikers, old people, beggars with kids, dogs, carts...
Military hospital
Castelo do Batel and other funny wonders - The castle is a pastiche. A funny little fantaisie in the urban landscape of Curitiba, but with so many other funny architecture styles, it is a little extra surprise on the way, an extra contrast that catches the eye. Clearly Curitibanos have variated views on what good architecture and beautiful homes and buildings are. But all those differences somehow in the end gives the tone to the heterogeneous townscape and harmonises it through its many variations. If this makes sense at all to you...?
Castelo do Batel
Other surprises on the road...
Praça do Japão - Again a wonderful piece of green and social gathering in the high and dense built area. This square is a tribute to the Japanese immigrants, as some immigrating groups got their parc, some get their square. In the mapping of the city, it supports as well this reality of Curitiba, being a Brasilian city with Brasilians and Portuguese speaking citizens, all coming from different origins. Something that makes me feel good about this city.
Praça do Japão and its surroundings
Praça Oswaldo Cruz and Praça Eufrasio Correia - More interesting praças. Oswaldo Cruz is less green and the built surroundings somehow feels heavier. The asphalt and concrete rules, with their grey nuances. But the square is nonetheless an activity hub with playing grounds for small and big. The nearby streets, although very close to the transportation axis of Avenida Sete de Setembro, offer the sight of colourful small houses - used and full of what we would call patina, but beautiful. Still the poverty of the district is sensed strongly. A few stops after, we are at Praça Eufrasio Correia - a green lung again. So all in all, the squares alternate as well in atmospheres, styles and materials. This gives me a very rich and diverse impression of Curitiba's urban spaces. I guess though this is my viewpoint, with the background and eye I have developped - I do hope though that the Curitibanese enjoy those spaces as much as I do. They are the important ones in this layout. It seems, from the discussions I have had so far with people, that they aren't aware of the qualities of their city - only the bad/sad aspects of it, its disfunctions and lack.
Shopping Estação and the Brasilian consumerism - Well, Eufrasio Correia is the stop as well for those who want to go shopping in the huge mall Estação. I usually would not go in such places but I need to see though what attracts so much the Brasilian people. If many are to be found in the parcs and squares of the city, as soon as the sun shines, it will never meet the density of people massed in those malls. Here you find the praça de alimentação, a huge indoor central square where junk food and express meals can be consumed. From there, indoor streets develop on the first and second floor along which all teh shops are disposed. People go in and out. Well, so do I - I cracked the two pair of jeans I brought to Brazil so I need to find a replacement anyway. Difficult given their sizes, and mine! When I want to pay, I am offered to do it three times. I did not get it at all in the first place - that custom would be for electrical or domestic appliances, smart technology or so. The thing is that everything is so expensive here. I often dwelled about it with my friends from here: considering the high amount of poverty, how can everyone access those items, how do poor people pay for they every day stuff? Well, it seems that this way of paying must be one answer. I started understanding why so many prices were not written as such, but as multiple of 3, 4 or 5. This allows every Brasilian to contribute to their society's consumerism, fitting capitalistic standards which might in the end actually sap their economy. I need to investigate more about this - more discussions, some newspapers and articles.
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