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Introduction
Despite technological progress in many industries over the past few decades, in the modern world, much attention is paid to digital technologies as a guarantee of the growth of human capabilities in future generations. In the fields of art and culture, much attention is paid to the introduction of modern genres and the transformation of traditional canons. However, architecture, as one of the oldest arts, is not always seen as a potentially rich industry for innovation. At the same time, individual figures who have made a colossal contribution to the development of this science have proved that the design and creation of spatial forms and structures can evoke admiration and recognition. One such person was Jaime Lerner, a Brazilian urbanist with Jewish roots. His influence on the appearance of Curitiba, the city in which he lived, and world architecture, in general, can hardly be overestimated. Having passed away at the very end of spring 2021, Jaime Lerner left behind a rich legacy of outstanding works, and his era has become an example for the whole world of how high-quality and professional work on residential and urban projects can be.
Jaime Lerners Background
Jaime Lerner was born in Brazil to Polish Jews who fled Poland in the early 1930s. In 1964, Lerner graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Federal University of Parana (Brasuell, 2021). In 1965, he helped found the Curitiba Urban Planning and Research Institute and Curitibas master plan (Brasuell, 2021). In 1971, he became the mayor of his native city, and for this position, he was elected three times (Brasuell, 2021). Moreover, Lerners political career also spans two terms as governor of his home region of Parana.
In addition to his professional activities, he was an activist of the Jewish community in Brazil and a fighter for the environment, whose initiatives brought effective results to his homeland. In 2010, in his article, Robertson (2010) mentioned that the American journal Time named Lerner as one of the 25 most influential thinkers of 2010. The American magazine Planetizen, in turn, named Lerner the second most important urban planner of all time after Jane Jacobs, another outstanding activist who was one of the founders of the new urbanism and advanced planning ( The 100 most influential urbanists, 2017). Nevertheless, despite recognition among the population, the key achievements of Jaime Lerner were not in administration but in architecture and his talent as a modernizer, whose ideas became popular and in-demand worldwide.
Modernization of Curitiba
Jaime Lerners success was largely due to his colossal work carried out in Brazil and, in particular, in Curitiba, the city in which he lived. According to Adler (2016), in the late 1960s of the 20th century, Brasilia, the capital of the state, was built from scratch in four years and became a symbol of modern, rational, functional planning (para. 1). Among political elites and all architectural critics, Brasilia was considered a victory over the chaos of Brazils cities.
Much further south, in Curitiba, the capital of the agricultural state of Parana, city planners tried hard to replicate the Brasilia model. In particular, as Adler (2016) notes, the central streets of Curitiba were to be extended, and to do this, it was supposed to demolish the historical house to free up space. To reduce traffic jams, an overpass was supposed to lead to the central square. However, Jaime Lerner, who had only recently graduated from the architectural university at that time, was against such a decision and criticized the project to fill Curitiba with space for transport. Adler (2016) highlights that the loss of the citys identity, history, and appearance were key reasons that Lerner considered objective. As a result, according to Lubow (2007), through Lerners efforts, Curitiba began to transform at a different pace and with distinctive mechanisms, and these solutions turned out to be more advanced and in demand.
Throughout his fruitful career, Lerner made significant contributions to the design and modernization of Curitiba. In addition, he performed not only architectural duties but was also the mayor of the city, which imposed additional obligations on him (Adler, 2016). As a result, due to his efforts, Curitiba was transformed colossally, but the final project had nothing to do with that proposed in the 1960s. The key idea was to create a city that combined infrastructure facilities aimed at improving life in its various forms, including recreation, movement, and other aspects. Ultimately, Curitiba acquired the status of the green capital of the country, and the innovations proposed by Jaime Lerner were decisive in achieving this outcome.
Lerners first steps in transforming the face of Curitiba were received ambiguously by the locals. Adler (2016) and Lubow (2007) look at the chronology of all the events and note that, after the proposal to convert the highway and make this pedestrian street, many entrepreneurs were worried and angry. They argued that free access of cars encouraged people to come and buy essential goods. As a result, the movement aimed at not allowing Lerners plan to be implemented became widespread, and a class-action lawsuit was filed. Nevertheless, not following the lead of shopkeepers, Lerner and his team refurbished the street in no time. As a result, entrepreneurs not only appreciated the new project but also wanted to expand the pedestrian zone, thereby appreciating the creativity and value of such a solution. Jaime Lerner Associated Architects, the organization that bears the name of the outstanding designer, notes that his activities with pedestrian areas were recognized as outstanding and earned residents recognition ( About Jaime Lerner Associated Architects, 2020). Thus, the architects courage and perseverance helped him achieve the desired outcome and prove to people the value of effective planning and design.
The beginning of productive work was a decisive factor that allowed Jaime Lerner to turn Curitiba into an innovative project and realize his ideas for the benefit of the city. One of the most important innovations was the re-equipment of the street space, which was adapted for the introduction of special buses running along the center of the road. In order not to obstruct traffic and make movement around the city freer, the roads were widened, and express buses picking up passengers did not interfere with the movement of the main transport, thereby optimizing the infrastructure. This move by Lerner was non-standard since, at that time, urban planning was associated with underground transport as one of the advanced technologies. However, the architect did not recognize this approach and was not a supporter of too expensive projects that ruined the usual rhythm of the city. Therefore, the introduction of new buses became an innovative solution that passengers appreciated due to the convenience and low cost of this vehicle. Nonetheless, for Lerner and his team, the current results were not satisfactory, and the movement to raise the culture of urban living continued.
Jaime Lerners Achievements in Raising the Culture of Urban Living
One of the first real and notable accomplishments of Jaime Lerner was the modernization of buses proposed by his own team. According to Adler (2016), this innovation enabled a number of important objectives to be achieved. Firstly, due to the increased platform heights and ease of boarding, the vehicle filling rate increased. Secondly, the capacity of these buses increased due to the more comfortable seating of passengers. Finally, the drivers attention became more focused on the movement since the landing was much easier than before. As a result, time savings and the ability to carry more passengers were the essential outcomes of the modernization of express buses. This achievement can be compared with the metro, but despite the underground transport, people retained an opportunity to move on the ground in the shortest possible time.
Another valuable initiative was to cleanse Curitiba to improve the ecological situation and achieve the status of a green city. As Adler (2016) argues, when Jaime Lerner became mayor in 1971, he organized a critically important program to clean up the city from garbage: bags of garbage were exchanged for food, essential goods, or travel documents for transport. Fishers were paid for the trash they caught, and the school got environmental education for children. These initiatives have remained active to this day, which is an indicator of the projects sustainability. According to Adler (2016), the percentage of recycled waste in Curitiba is 70, and this is an extremely high result for the country in which the problem of waste management is acute (para. 29). Therefore, the program justified itself comprehensively, and over the years, a collective civic responsibility has been developed for the reasonable sorting and recycling of garbage.
In addition to optimizing Curitibas transport industry, Lerner placed particular emphasis on green design. In particular, as Adler (2016) remarks, a significant area of his interests included city greening and the promotion of park planting programs as recreational complexes. The focus was on the transition from the same type of concrete structures to ecological innovation formats. As a result of this work, a large area of Curitiba was converted into parks and gardens. Moreover, much work was done on the valorization of urban and natural landscapes, which allowed Lerner to combine modern urban ideas with classical principles of landscaping ( About Jaime Lerner Associated Architects, 2020, para. 2). As a result, today, Curitiba remains the green capital of Brazil, where technogenic and natural forms intersect harmoniously, thereby creating a unique culture.
However, while talking about Jaime Lerners most significant achievements in urban modernization, one should focus on sustainable planning as the main area of the architects interest. Adler (2016) highlights that Lerner did not seek to create a pretentious or futuristic style; conversely, he encouraged simplicity complemented by environmental friendliness and convenience. This approach allowed residents of the city and around the world to look at design in a new way and appreciate the idea of effective planning. Despite Lerners efforts to provide a convenient and sustainable traffic system in Curitiba, his central mission was to make life in the city comfortable for the citizens. Lubow (2007) quotes the great architect as saying, This city is not for cars, which explains Lerners many initiatives to separate urban transport from recreational areas. He valued the well-being of people living in a beautiful and green city above technical progress based on an increase in the number of cars and heavy parts in the landscape. Therefore, Jaime Lerners developments that have survived to this day are relevant and essential as the elements of an open and friendly Curitiba.
Future of Jaime Lerners Legacy
One of the frequent questions that interest architectural critics, cultural scholars, and other representatives of the creative intelligentsia around the world is whether Curitiba, as the main site of Jaime Lerners work, can keep its legacy intact. The urban development situation in South America leaves much to be desired, and due to a difficult economic situation in individual regions of Brazil, the country may not be able to cope with leaving a place like Curitiba untouched by typical development. These risks are complemented by financial challenges in the city itself because, according to Adler (2016), up to 8% of Curitiba still lives in favelas (para. 34). Therefore, questions about the future of the city, in particular, its advanced green architecture, arise.
Despite these concerns, when taking into account that over the years of Lerners work, the city has not lost its high status, there have not been signs yet that Curitiba has started losing its status of a green and steadily developing place. As the Jaime Lerner Associated Architects team notes, the experience that the outstanding urban planner and politician passed on to posterity is the key to understanding how a sustainable urbanist system should function in a resource-limited environment ( About Jaime Lerner Associated Architects, 2020). The city has retained its independent appearance, and unlike other large centers of the country, there is no unplanned and chaotic construction in it, which disrupts the appearance of the streets and is unaesthetic.
Nonetheless, some risks exist, and Curitibas transition to a more standardized beautification principle can be smooth and gradual but stable, which is a threat to its image. Adler (2016) states that, with the loss of the chief designer and architect, the values he fought for might be undermined in favor of raising capital and accumulating profits. This can manifest itself in an increase in the use of personal transport by residents and guests of Curitiba, a decrease in the use of public transport, a suspension of maintenance of numerous green spaces, and other negative consequences. As a result, in case of failure to provide timely preventive measures, the city can be equated with other Brazilian centers. Moreover, as Adler (2016) highlights, the crime rates in Curitiba are not much different from those at the national level. This means that focusing on more pressing and pressing issues can negatively affect the image of the city and hinder its further development. Therefore, the fears are not unfounded, and in case of incompetent management and distribution of resources for improvement, the status of the green capital of the country may be lost.
At the same time, given the history of Curitiba, its basic cultural heritage represented in architectural forms and landscapes will not be lost. The pedestrian street, park areas, special roads for buses, and other results of Lerners activities will not be dismantled since they are not only the hallmark of the city but are also convenient for residents themselves. Adler (2016) argues that Curitibas authorities understand the value of the work done and will not be ready to replace old buildings with modern high-rise constructions, despite the potential practicality and benefits of this approach. Advanced planning and design are the factors that have allowed Jaime Lerner to go down in history, and the destruction of his legacy is comparable to the destruction of an entire class of architectural culture that originated in Curitiba. Moreover, after becoming a prominent tourist center, this is not profitable for the city to regress. Therefore, in case of competent management, Jaime Lerners projects are likely to be improved, but the general concept of this outstanding person will remain unchanged not to interfere with the city to preserve its identity and culture.
Conclusion
Residential and urban projects promoted by Jaime Lerner have set an example for the world and helped an outstanding architect and designer show that planning could be effective even with limited resources. His contribution to the citys culture and architecture, in general, is significant, and many solutions, such as garbage recycling practices, pedestrian streets, and special transport routes, have been taken over by many other cities. Lerner passed away in late spring 2021, but his legacy lives on. In case the authorities do not put potential financial income above the cultural image, Curitiba will be able to develop through significant forms and methods of modernizing urban infrastructure to preserve the image of a unique and distinctive city.
References
The 100 most influential urbanists. (2017). Planetizen. Web.
About Jaime Lerner Associated Architects. (2020). Jaime Lerner Associated Architects. Web.
Adler, D. (2016). Story of cities #37: How radical ideas turned Curitiba into Brazils green capital. The Guardian. Web.
Brasuell, J. (2021). Jaime Lerner, one of the worlds most influential urbanists, passes away at the age of 83. Planetizen. Web.
Lubow, A. (2007). The road to Curitiba. The New York Times. Web.
Robertson, G. (2010). Jaime Lerner. Time. Web.
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