Tag Archives: Brazil

It’s Good, But It Can Be Better – Module 7 – Bernstein

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Since I do not live in an urban area, I will discuss Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Williamsport lies near the western branch of the Susquehanna River in Lycoming County in the upper-half of Pennsylvania. It is much larger than my home town, estimating at about 29,000 people (very pedestrian-oriented/urban, but mainly Use Mixture); with the rough area of 9.5 square miles, it could be considered fairly dense population-wise (~3,450 people/square mile). While the river is not used much besides fishing now, it was used to transport lumber many years back helping to bring economic prosperity. I feel a connection to Williamsport as it was where my brother and I attended college (Penn Tech and Lycoming, respectively). The residents are ok, although “sketchy” at times. As long as one stays in the “college town” and “tourist” areas (Williamsport is well-known for Little League Baseball) – normally well-lit, populated, and overall “friendly” – one could have a grand time. Like all populated cities though there is crime – with a shocking amount occurring near the colleges.

The first city I would like to discuss is Curitiba, Brazil. For the sake of comparison, I shall be referring to the transportation aspect (more specifically, their bus system). While Williamsport does have a public bus system, I believe it could be improved. Unlike Curitiba, I believe the transport in Williamsport was “thrown in” rather than planned around. There is not much one can do a though, due to the already existing physical infrastructure.  I did like Curitiba’s idea of people paying at stations before boarding; Williamsport only has one station where people can pay, so not everyone would be able to make it to that single station. Their bus system also travels to several different locations instead of the main city center, confusing first-time bus users and taking more resources to run more buses. The timing is something could also be improved; while Curitiba’s systems will run within a minute of each other, Williamsport’s will run within a half-hour (at least). There could be much time and money saved if Williamsport were to follow Curitiba’s lead.

The second city I would like to discuss is Bogota, Columbia. In this instance, I will also be discussing the matters of transportation along with the topic of pollution in relation to Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Ciclovia, taking cars off the streets/limiting them drastically every Sunday from 7:00am-2:00pm, is something that I think would benefit Williamsport as well. Williamsport’s size and infrastructure lead to a lot of pollution (especially air pollution) not only in regards to the businesses that operate there, but for the transportation as well. Since buses do not run in Williamsport on Sundays as is, I do not think this would be too difficult to implement. As a side-effect, this could actually boost business for local spots as well; since everyone would be “out and about” due to not worrying about the traffic running them over and anything else bad happening, they would become potential customers to local businesses who could benefit from the extra commerce.

 

Dorish Nguyen – Urban Planning

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  1. My hometown is South Bend, Indiana. It is located in Saint Joseph County on the Saint Joseph River nearest the southernmost bend (hence where the name South Bend is derived from.) South Bend has a total of about 100,000 residents and has a neighborhood I would consider as an automobile suburb. Though not a huge city, South Bend requires for a car to be able to go from place to place. My neighborhood itself does not have sidewalks and everybody has cars in order to get to work, school, or around the city. Though South Bend is most known for being home to the University of Notre Dame, I love this city for so much more. Our current mayor, Pete Buttigieg, has made so many economic development projects within the city that work towards rebuilding the community. South Bend also recently saved $100 million by tracking its sewers and installing a new water system. I grew up in South Bend my entire life and cannot imagine anywhere else I could call home.
  2. The first city from the module I am discussing is Chicago, Illinois. My hometown is just an hour and a half drive to Chicago, but they are two very different areas. The largest difference is that Chicago is pedestrian based whereas you need a car in South Bend to get around. Many places in Chicago are just within walking distance of each other and many people live within the city whereas many people in South Bend live in neighborhoods. However, South Bend and Chicago both share the same transportation system for trains. The South Shore is the interurban line between South Bend, Indiana, and Chicago. Trains are a much more effective and sustainable transportation system when there are more people to go from South Bend to Chicago. However, Chicago’s cities provide better urban agriculture that South Bend could take after. In South Bend, there are not community gardens present, however, in Chicago, they have turned community gardens into artwork and created parks to increase plant coverage and improve the air quality there.
  3. The second city I am discussing is Curitiba, Brazil. It is not even remotely close to where I live. Curitiba has the best bus system in the world. Their bus system is efficient and very easy for people to get around quickly without having to wait a long time for a bus since the uses run a minute apart during peak hours. South Bend, on the other hand, has a terrible bus system. I could not even tell you how to use the bus system or where to find a bus stop. South Bend has become so dependent on cars to get around that the city neglects those who do not own a car or are able to drive to help get around. During peak hours, South Bend streets also get very crowded. South Bend could take from Curitiba’s bus system by implementing a better bus system than the one currently. This way, pollution would be reduced since fewer cars results in less carbon emissions.