Bus Rapid Transit - Curitiba's attraction to the world

The City of Curitiba in Brazil has long been touted as a model city with inspiring urban planning and notably efficient transportation. This is with good reason. To understand the system it is important to look at the planning process behind the success of Curitiba.

Curitiba, located south of San Paolo, is a cultural center of Brazil, with a population of around 1,750,000 and a growth rate of 0.96%. When combined with the population of the entire Metropolitan Region of Curitiba (RMC), the population reaches up to 3,200,000. Curitiba’s effective transportation system and city planning allows this large number of people to commute through the city with little congestion.

Integrated planning and zoning have divided the city land use in order to promote development and growth in a disciplined structure, with the majority, 58% for residential areas and 17% for environmental and historical preservation. The rest is predominately for the commercial and service areas. The urban planning process in Curitiba began in 1943. The first public transportation plan, referred to as the Agache Plan, was a radial plan which placed downtown Curitiba as the center of the city with development and public transportation spiraling out from that point. In 1966, this plan was abandoned in favor of a linear system. At this time, the population had grown significantly to 500,000 and a linear transportation system with development and transportation following along large intersecting roadways to better accommodate this growth. In 2004, this plan was further improved upon by implementing new urban tools and policies, while maintaining the linear guidelines of the 1966 plan.

The majority of Curitiba’s transportation is through a network of buses consisting of 82km of dedicated bus lanes in 13 municipalities with over 2270 buses. There are 30 bus terminals and 347 tube stations across Curitiba totaling to around 20,850 trips per/day with over 2,380,000 passengers a day. This is all done using a single fare system in order to be affordable to everyone. One of the main benefits of this system is that it significantly cuts down on congestion. The linear planning in the city allows for the flow of traffic to be easy and fast. The buses also are given dedicated lanes that run centrally, which they predominately travel in; other traffic is delegated to outside lanes. Integrated terminals along the streets connect citizen streets effectively to bus lanes which allow for easy access to public transportation. The city has subsequently developed up around these bus routes, a quick look at Curitiba will show that the majority of the large buildings and commercial centers have developed and run parallel to these linear transportation routes and follow the routes along the city. This means that the important areas of the city are all easily and quickly accessible. There are a large variety of buses which follow the different dedicated routes which further allows for specificity, and easily access any part of the city. These include the circle line and conventional buses which function as local buses with a capacity of up to 70 people. There are also feeder buses and inter-district buses that can hold up to 160 people. The most recognizable buses are the express buses, which are bright red and stretch extremely long in order to accommodate 270 passengers throughout the major stops of the city.

One of the new projects in Curitiba is the development of the Green line. This line is 18km in length, reaching across 23 neighborhoods, affecting 287,000 people. The name Green line is given due to the 21,000sqm of green area that surround the green line, with 5,200 of trees alone planted in this area. 18km of bikeways have also been added in the green area, running through many parks and in conjunction with the bus routes. This line has effectively integrated bikeways, land use, road networks, and the promotion of environmental policies. The bikeway infrastructure in Curitiba, Pedula Curitiba, is also being further improved in others ways as well. The city is offering many incentives for bikes as a means of transport. Existing bikeways and older bikeways are being maintained and recovered to be effective for public use and to form a large biking network. In the central area of the city there are 28 bike racks and 20 public bike stations along defined bike routes. Curitiba also excels in the area of Historical Preservation. Heritage Buildings are preserved and local custom are given priority in the city. When new buildings are built in proximity to Heritage sites, they are stacked up and given space restrictions in order to preserve these sites. Going along with this Curitiba also values environmental preservation with over 34 recognized public parks and wood areas.

Curitiba municipality has also stated that it has plans to further improved urban mobility and integrated transport and work to provide more affordable housing. In addition, the Curitiba municipality plans to further promote economic and social developments with environmental controls and sustainability in mind. They will do this through diagnosis, evaluation, and discussion with the community via public hearings and online information sessions. The Curitiba subway system is also in the municipality’s plan for improvement. The current subway system runs parallel to and under the North, South Axis routes to the center of the city, covering a distance of 19km. The subway system can currently accommodate 282 passengers per car with 5 cars per train, totaling to 1,100 passengers. With a traveling speed of 17 km/hour and a max speed of 80 km/hour, traveling the whole system takes around 38 minutes. There are talks to extend this system however there are some concerns over the actual public use of the system.

In addition, to all of this Curitiba is also preparing to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup which will surely test the transportation system.

Many cities/local governments in Asia have been inspired by participatory and strategic planning system of Curitiba and its successful public transport system which makes Curitiba an attractive place to visit.

Moritoshi Sato, Assistant Secretary General of CITYNET

For almost 20 years now, CITYNET has contributed solutions to a variety of urban problems in the Asia-Pacific region. I am very pleased that I can now be part CITYNET.

In 1989, I was in charge of the Yokohama Exotic Showcase. My main task was to interact with foreign guests that visited the exhibition. That same year, Yokohama City became the president of CITYNET, and the Secretariat was established in Minato Mirai.

Now membership has increased to nearly 120 members and CITYNET has been involved in various programmes divided into four clusters related to urban sustainable development. One of the clusters is disaster.

Japan encountered an unprecedented disaster on March11, 2011 and is still suffering from the aftermath. Japan has received assistance from many countries, including CITYNET members. I want to share the lessons we have learned in Japan and ways to cope with such disasters to other members. Disasters can not be eliminated, but together we can minimise the risks and the damage.

I will do my best to focus on management issues, including the relocation of the office to Seoul.

Moritoshi Sato
Assistant General, CITYNET

Among the 200 participants from 45 different countries, I gladly attended as a representative from Nepal. The programme made me feel proud to be a woman, for being able to stand up for women’s rights, and discuss our safety details worldwide. What I derived from the conference is that women safety is a serious issue not just in poor or third world countries like ours but, even in developed and well-off nations. Women need to feel safe from sexual harassment and social inequality. Yet, despite much success in women empowerment, numerous issues still exist, ranging from cultural and political to economic. We gathered at the congress to discuss these issues, as well as methods and ideas to lessen unsafe practices regarding women from different perspectives.

Women have strengths that amaze. They carry children, they carry burdens yet they hold faith, happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream and sing when they want to cry. They can wipe a tear, cover a cut and pat your back at the same time. In the past, women were expected to stay at home and look after the children, but women have changed over the years: they have ‘come out’! We talk about equality, equal wages, political correctness and acceptability in all walks of life, but can these factors exist? Gone are the days when she toiled at the kitchen stove all day long; she is aware of her needs and willing to fight for them. She expects to be given the respect she deserves, both at home and at work. Today’s women are learning to avoid situations that make them stressful and it is a hard struggle to reach that goal, but nothing can be called impossible. Women today raise their voices for rights and safety for a brighter tomorrow.

What did I learn???

• From the first day, the conference made us reflect on the millions of women who are the victims of harassment and abuse.

• Whether in the rural areas or in developed cities, women are not safe and there are still many obstacles in their path. They are victimized in one way or another.

• At the conference, we shared experiences from our countries and also discussed how we to practice women safety in our cities.

• The different workshops and panel discussions gave us a clear view of the challenges faced by all the cities, while maintaining women safety and also the precautions that should be taken.

• We discussed and presented alternative solutions and recommendations for making cities safer for girls and women.

• I was inspired by the examples set by the Indian women living in slum areas  who united and made a difference in their living conditions. This proves that “the woman who rocks the cradle can rule the world.”

• In the workshop program, we also participated in discussions of women friendly services all around our cities, such as women friendly transportation and women friendly environments free from victimization (safe urban cities). This has encouraged me in conducting these services in my city.

• In today’s era of technologies, I found out that women are more active and aware regarding their safety due to modern inventions which have made it easier to communicate with different women across the world.

What can be done in my city?

In the context of Nepal, the majority of women are unaware that they are being victimized. Until they realize their rights, “women’s safety” cannot be practiced in these areas. So, first and foremost, awareness among women regarding their rights and safety is crucial.

Here are some other ways in which women’s safety can be implemented:

• Equal participation of women in every sphere of life in policy and decision making must be encouraged.

• Implementation of laws made for the proper rights of women.

• Expanding “women-friendly” public services.

• Improving the capacities of local authorities and other key factors to respond to violence against women and girls.

• Arranging for the sufficient allocation of  budgets for women’s development, i.e. gender responsive budgets.

• Holding awareness programs like health check-ups, family planning, education, and maternal and child health care.

• Working for gender equity and equality.

• Conduct skill development programs for women in order to empower them, like sewing, cooking, hair-cutting etc.

• Organizing basic education classes for uneducated elderly women.

Barriers in women safety in Nepal :

• Women trafficking.

• Lack of education and awareness in women.

• Dependency of women on men in every aspect.

• Lack of implementation of rules and regulations.

• Poverty and unemployment.

• Social and cultural values.

CONCLUSION:

Hearing about the  grass roots successes women achieved in policy making from different women worldwide, who shared their experiences, stories and struggles, benefitted all of who attended the conference. The three-day conference not only inspired us but also motivated us in working towards women safety.

It’s high time we join our hands to achieve “women safety.” Let’s not only limit women safety to speech, but let’s take a vow to work toward it in the future. Regarding women safety as a serious issue in today’s world, we must make strong efforts to bring it into practice in our daily lives.

The struggle for women safety continues unabated, and the women armed with wit and courage will be among the first to celebrate victory. Hence, fighting the battle for women, “WOMEN SAFETY” will always be my motto – starting from my home today.

Sato in Jakarta

Shigenobu Sato has been a vital part of the CITYNET Secretariat team in Yokohama as Assistant Secretary General (ASG) over the past year. As ASG, Sato-san contributed a valuable amount to the operations of the Secretariat thanks to his years of international experience as a former city official of Yokohama. At the CITYNET Secretariat Sato focused on liaising between CITYNET and Yokohama, advising on CITYNET activities as well as improving conditions in the Secretariat. He participated in a number of CITYNET international activities including the Pre-APEC Seminar of Climate Change in Yokohama in August, KLRTC XX on Urban Planning in Kuala Lumpur in July as well as the Sanitation Workshop and National Chapters Meeting in Palembang held in November last year. At the 28^th Executive Committee Meeting in Yokohama held in October, Sato also contributed to the Meeting. On behalf of the CITYNET, we would like to thank Sato for his dedication and contributions to CITYNET. We wish Sato all the best with his new prospects and look forward to many years of continued collaboration. Sato served from 1 April, 2010 until 28 February, 2011.

Sato shared some of his reflections on CITYNET in the following interview.
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Q. Please share with us a little about your background and interests. As Assistant Secretary General of CITYNET, what have been your areas of focus?
I was born after World War 2, grew up in a rural area and then later moved to the city of Yokohama. In rural areas, usually the second or third son leaves the house. I worked at a private company and then in the city government. Due to my upbringing, I have some knowledge of war and so I have a great deal of sympathy for the Asian people. I strongly hope for peace for all. I lived for a few years in New York and I have an interest in international relations. Previously I worked at the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and I can remember when preparations for the set up of CITYNET by UNESCAP were being made – it was quite exciting to see the beginnings of what CITYNET has developed into today.

The position of ASG is quite important. The ASG must operate both outside and within the Secretariat and of course it takes time to fully understand an organisation. The ASG has the daily responsibility to oversee the operations of the Secretariat, in place of the SG. The aspect of management is also quite important especially in identifying where people’s strengths and weaknesses lie.

Q. During your term, you had the opportunity to visit a few CITYNET member cities. What were some of your impressions?
Each city has a special importance as well as their attendance at events. Each city has a great deal to share on challenges and examples. During my visit to Palembang, I could see that the mayor was very popular among citizens.

When I visited the slum in Palembang, so many children welcomed us; I could feel a lot of energy and potential for the future. There are a great many things they would like to achieve.

Q.   What have been some of your most memorable experiences at CITYNET?

Last summer I was surprised at the large support of the Pre-APEC Seminar on climate change in Yokohama – attendance was very high. CITYNET has an important role in organizing useful and attractive events for urban stakeholders.

I am also very pleased to have worked with such able colleagues.

Q: What is your future vision for CITYNET? What are some of the changes or improvements that you hope to see?
Times and circumstances for cities both globally and in the Asia-Pacific region are changing. We need to review and recognize our position. As we are located in Yokohama, it is at times difficult to keep focus on other target areas.

It is also important to keep in mind the rate of development and issues of diversity. CITYNET should respond to the changing needs of the cities but also we should not impose our ideas but consider many factors such as culture and labour relations within a city.  People should not think that ‘money can buy everything’ and we should be sensitive to causing a drastic change in culture or lifestyle when we consider projects.

A city is not only a platform for mayors, we expect leadership from them to ensure for the lives of their people. Ideas of discipline, education, skill transfer, self-dependency and raison d’être may be differ from city to city.

City-to-city relations are very unique; we need to foster these partnerships for them to continue.  Keeping a cooperative mind is crucial. If cities study lessons from others as well as being educated on the difficulties, we can teach each other these experiences.

CITYNET has to change with the times; if this can happen then the future of CITYNET will be bright.

Q.  What words of advice will you give to the next ASG and the Secretariat? How do you think the role of the ASG can best serve CITYNET?
The role requires someone who has a great deal of energy. I think it would be best if it were someone who has a strong vision for the future of CITYNET. The next ASG will also pave the way for the transition to Seoul.

Q:  What are your future plans?

I would like to enjoy my remaining time. I am very interested in history, geography and travel. I also plan to do some writing. I will continue to be a CITYNET supporter.

Q:  What message would you like to leave members with?

Please work together with strong communication and on an equal level. I believe that CITYNET, including Seoul, the future seat of the Secretariat, will grow and benefit a great deal from shared experiences; I hope that this opportunity can be used to strengthen CITYNET even further.

Me (on the left) and my other Canadian colleague, Firth (on the right), meeting with some local village children

My name is Julian and I recently worked as an intern for 6 months in the City of San Fernando’s  Environment and Natural Resources Office (Philippines), during which time I had the pleasure of working with CITYNET on the San Fernando eco-tanks project, while also working on other projects of the city’s sanitation and solid waste management programs. I was invited to contribute to this blog to share my experiences of working “on the ground” with San Fernando and CITYNET and to emphasize the importance of, and need for, proper sanitation and solid waste management in cities around the world.

I’ll start by noting that I was recruited for this position by a Canadian NGO called Sustainable Cities International (http://www.sustainablecities.net/). Sustainable Cities is quite similar to CITYNET, in that it focuses on linking cities around the world to share information, catalyze projects, and address issues, though the focus of Sustainable Cities is specifically on environmental sustainability and its membership is primarily North American, though cities from around the world are also members and more are welcome to join!

As with many developing cities, San Fernando faces a major problem of contaminated groundwater (its primary source of drinking water), due to a lack of sewage treatment infrastructure and often poorly constructed / poorly maintained septic tanks. A past survey performed in the city showed that 56 out of 59 sampled surface groundwater wells were contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria and thus posed a serious public health risk, which helped motivate the city to begin working to establish a comprehensive sanitation program. In addition to soliciting assistance from CITYNET for the eco-tank technology (which provides small-scale, decentralized sewage treatment at a far more affordable and manageable scale for the city than a centralized treatment plant and piping infrastructure would), the city is also working to rewrite its Sanitation Code to enforce proper septic tank design and maintenance standards for all households and establishments, and, in tandem, is also constructing a treatment plant for septic tank sludge, so as to make the cost of residential septic tank desludging more affordable.

Ribbon cutting for San Fernando's new septage treatment facility with U.S. Ambassador Harry Thomas, City Mayor Pablo Ortega, and Provincial Congressman Victor Ortega, with USAID representatives and City Councillors looking on

Thanks to San Fernando City’s dual membership in Sustainable Cities and CITYNET, getting the eco-tanks projects up and running and working on the details of the new Sanitation Code amendment were some of my main tasks. An important lesson that I rapidly learned was that even a relatively simple (in theory) project like eco-tank installation required the approval and support of many people, which necessitated many meetings, site visits, and correspondences to make decisions on: the site locations for the pilot tanks, the amount of funding that could be provided by each partner (San Fernando and CITYNET, as well as Rotary International and USAID), the details of the additional infrastructure that would be needed (e.g. amount of concrete, electrical supply, etc.), the plan for who and how the system would be installed, the necessary customs procedures and forms that would be required and the method of shipment desired for the tanks (which were manufactured in Bangkok), and the plan for community outreach and future expansion potential of the eco-tank pilot project, to name just a few! Most of these decisions have now been finalized and, currently, San Fernando has received their eco-tanks and is installing them in the selected pilot sites, with an outreach campaign and assessment stage to follow.

Because none of us in the city had had prior experience with this technology, we relied heavily on the technical advice of CITYNET and USAID representatives to assist in these decisions, which is why collaborative organizations like CITYNET and Sustainable Cities are, in my opinion, so essential for cities in pursuing ambitious development projects, as they provide information sharing that can greatly facilitate a project that may have otherwise been left simply as an idea due to lack of technical expertise. And now that San Fernando has gone through this process, the city’s technical staff will be able to repeat the process more quickly and easily. They will also be able to install eco-tanks in many other neighborhoods of the city, and assist any other partner city in developing their own eco-tank program.

Eco tank study tour with local sanitary engineers and community workers to survey residents of the pilot areas on their water usage, plumbing situation, and sanitation activities

Collaboration is also essential to allow all parties to more fully understand the unique circumstances of the project. The CITYNET and USAID partners and I could never have predicted or prescribed any effective ideas or solutions to meet the needs of San Fernando without having visited there first. But with us being on the ground and learning, for example, that some of the low-income informal settler areas of the city living with poor sanitation could not simply be legislated into cooperation with the septic tank or eco-tank programs, due to their homes being located on the land of a national government corporation, which the city had no authority over.  After meeting with the people, observing the way they live and surveying them about their sanitation practices, allowed us to make more effective decisions about how best to work with the community and city to target the highest sanitation risk areas without overstepping the city’s legislative authority.

Proper sanitation is, without a doubt, a major need for many developing cities, but, as I discovered in San Fernando, this definition needs to be adapted to each city’s unique circumstances. Sewage treatment plants are expensive, and if a few small-scale fiberglass tanks can do a similar quality job at a fraction of the investment, then it was the right project at the right time for San Fernando, but, for any number of reasons, may not necessarily as useful for a different developing city. I therefore hope to see an increase in collaborative projects like San Fernando’s, where technical expertise can be combined with local knowledge to formulate tailored solutions for each community!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in San Fernando. The wonderfully warm climate, the abundant, exotic and delicious foods, and the incredibly open, friendly and generous people totally surpassed any expectations that I had about the city and country. Since my contract expired in September, I have traveled throughout Southeast and East Asia, and, while every country I visited had similarly wonderful aspects about it, I am still so hopelessly enamored with the Philippines that I am returning there for further travel (and hopefully some more work or volunteering) in January! I am eternally grateful for the excellent opportunity I was given to hopefully launch a career in international environmental work!

To read more about some of the technical aspects of the San Fernando sanitation and eco-tanks program, please visit the project’s blog: http://sfluseptage.blogspot.com/

To contact Julian Doczi please send an email to: juliandoczi(at)gmail.com

CITYNET Secretary General Mary Jane Ortega

Excerpt and translation from Kanagawa Newspaper (December 3, 2010) as part of their series on the new environmental era (in Japanese) http://news.kanaloco.jp/serial/C96/

In 2009, two large typhoons struck the Philippines and caused a great deal of damage.  As the mayor of San Fernando La Union, I installed a drainage canal and vacuum tank at the advice of a World Bank consultant who said we can’t create a city without disaster, but if we are prepare, we can minimize the damage. In order to reduce the damage incurred from a disaster, we need appropriate city planning based on comprehensive research.

CITYNET shares these kinds of experiences and knowledge among member cities and organizations to create more resilient cities. We have undertaken several city-to-city cooperation projects amongst CITYNET member cities, utilizing Yokohama, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur as resource cities. Through these experiences, developing cities receive technical support on water resources, sanitation, solid waste management, transport, and urban safety.
We have also undertaken ‘south to south’ cooperation projects: that is cooperation between two developing cities.
Best practices are shared, and instead of just reading about such practices, it is best to learn through action, replication, and innovation based on the culture of each city.

Developing cities should not adopt lessons learned simply from best practices implemented by developed nations. They should decide what is viable for their cities and what is not. When I was in the United States in 1998, I visited one landfill where I was asked what kind of scent I preferred.  People at the landfill site opened a valve and suddenly from tubes all around the perimeter emerged the scent of cinnamon, they explained that they used this scent at lunchtime.  I was told that they use a lime or lemon scent at night.  When I returned home, I thought of planting 1,500 ylang-ylang trees  near the city’s landfill (ylang-ylang is native to the Philippines and has a fragrant and unique scent) . I believe it is crucial to ask what will work for your city specifically and put that into action.

Mr. Ooki at his farm in Tosuka ward in Yokohama, Japan

Currently in Japan, it is difficult to grow 100 percent organic vegetables, especially in urban areas as  chemicals surround us – such as in our groundwater and air. Despite this, Toshiyuki Ooki, has found a way to come as close as possible to truly organic vegetables in the urban centre of Yokohama. Ooki, a retired businessman had a simple wish to grow safe vegetables and together with a special net to eliminate the need for pesticides and careful farming methods, he is making it happen. Ooki also shares his unique and safe farming method with other farmers. Schools and a university in the area rely on him to provide fresh vegetables as well as they learn about the farming process and how food reaches their plates. Students, parents, teachers and the community alike are all involved in making this a truly cost-effective and holistic process as well as a best practice that could be emulated in other cities in Asia.

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Toshiyuki Ooki began farming in 2003 after 39 years as a businessman. He entered Kanagawa Farming Academy to study the basics of farming and followed by a one year apprenticeship, observing farming techniques, crop conditions, and methods of pesticide reduction. Born from a desire to produce safe and healthy, quality vegetables, Mr. Ooki developed his own methods of pesticide reduction.  Today, Ooki supplies vegetables to five schools in the Yokohama area, educates students and local farmers about safe methods of produce development, and plans to expand his work throughout Japan and overseas. In addition to improving local food quality and safety, Oki formulated a special kind of net devised to cover the vegetables he cultivates from insects while minimising the use of necessary pesticides.

The City of Yokohama officially approved Ooki’s farming methods in 2005, entitling him to produce vegetables using his own environmentally friendly methods. His unique farming process utilises a super-thin nylon net, which allows sunlight, air, and water to pass through but not insects.

According to Ooki, there is no such thing as 100 percent organic food. At some point in its growth process, vegetables will be contaminated with foreign elements, which in most cases are of an edible amount. Even tap water contains chemicals to make it drinkable. Rain contains pollutants from the air. Only strict regulations, checks, and monitoring will ensure “almost organic” products. Therefore, correct labeling and information dissemination must be promoted to give consumers the truth about labeling standards of organic food.

The overall goal of Ooki’s farming methods is to create a healthier and safer community by providing produce with the absolute minimal use of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals.

CITYNET staff visited Ooki Farms in October to see his urban farming practices in action regarding environmentally friendly farming, and the importance of providing pesticide-free produce to local schools.

The net was developed by Mr. Ooki to eliminate the need for pesticides.

CITYNET: Can you tell us about the net you developed and how it works?

Ooki: The net I developed is used to maintain a level of cleanliness in the vegetables.  If the net is used properly, the heat from the sun kills the bugs without the need for agricultural chemicals. Before planting the seeds, I place a plastic sheet over the ground to raise the ground temperature enough to kill the insect eggs in the soil. However, the main problem with the net-system is that while the heat from the sun kills the bugs, after the plastic sheet is removed, bugs cannot enter from above or around the net, but they can enter from under the soil.

CITYNET: How does the net stay fastened to the ground?

Ooki: I use a series of clamps that I developed as well.

CITYNET: How do you know when the eggs in the soil have been eliminated?

Ooki: It depends on the soil temperature. When the ground temperature reaches 15 – 25 degrees, the plastic sheet needs to remain over the soil for about 20 days. When the ground temperature exceeds 25 degrees, the plastic sheet is only needed for 10 to 15 days.

This process is currently not widely used. It is generally thought to be more convenient to use chemicals, so pesticides are often used instead. However, if pesticides are used, rain water washes the pesticides into the drainage system, and those chemicals eventually end up in the drinking water.

CITYNET: Are you currently the only farm using this system?

Ooki: I’m currently working hard to teach other farmers in the area how to utilise the net-system as well. It is because of this net-system that Yokohama has given me a special certification that I received in March, 2005. Very few people have this designation because this method of farming is vey rarely used. Every three years somebody from the Yokohama government comes and checks to see if I am still properly pursuing environmentally friendly farming methods. If that person decides that I am not currently up to standards, I will lose my certification and be forced to take a course to get the certification again. In general, however, those who have received the certification tend to be very committed to the cause and therefore are not inclined to loosen their standards.

CITYNET: You are a retired businessman with a background very different from than that of a farmer – what made you decide to dedicate yourself to farming?

Ooki: Yes, I was a businessman for 39 years. Well for one, I wanted to have more control over my life. Businessmen tend to lead very structured lives with very little freedom. So at 55, I decided I wanted more freedom, and to have a job that can be of use to people.

There are plenty of other jobs and volunteer opportunities that can be helpful to the community, but today’s middle school students eat food from so many different sources, and kids don’t know where that food comes from. That’s why I decided to learn where that food comes from and how it is produced. After that, I began to pursue clean and safe farming methods that I could teach to students.

CITYNET: Where is the net being sold now?

Ooki: They are only available in stores in Kanagawa. However, people from around Japan have bought it directly from me. If somebody wanted to buy the net from overseas as well, they could order it directly from Oki Farms.

CITYNET: And how much does it cost?

Ooki: There are several sizes and cost depends on the size. They range from 17,000 to 69,000 yen and the clamps cost 65yen per piece.

CITYNET: How has climate change affected your farming process?

Ooki: This year the hot season has been very long with not a lot of rain, which means less water from sources, and irrigation has become more difficult.

CITYNET: And what has been the most difficult aspect of the agricultural process?

Ooki: The climate has been changing every year, yet I have to grow the same crops in different weather. Especially now that I am providing produce for schools, I am required to produce the same vegetables each year despite the change in climate. For example, this year has been especially hot, so I’ve had to water the plants at night instead of during the day, and when it is cold, I have trouble protecting the vegetables from the weather.

I also take my water from a well, which contains fewer chemicals than drinking water, at least for now. But this could become a problem in the future if well-water also becomes contaminated with chemicals.

CITYNET: What kind of feedback have you received from the schools?

Ooki: In general, the students say that the vegetables are better than before. On top of that, vegetables from my farm are actually cheaper than those from the market because I sell directly to the schools. So, the vegetables are cheaper, better, and safer.

Every year children also visit the farm. Once, on a school fieldtrip, a second year student saw that my fields were covered in white nets while the other fields were not, and so he asked his teacher about it. The school’s nutritionist and principal came to ask me about the nets, and from there they learned that I used the absolute minimum of chemicals, and the schools decided to begin buying their produce from me. I actually did not contact the schools first, they contacted me.

I believe I am the only person in Japan working like this, but other farms have begun this process as well.  I would like to provide safe vegetables to schools, and increase the overall health of students across Japan. But on top of that, I would like safe farming techniques taught in food education classes, so that students can learn that farming can be an important and exciting job.

CITYNET: Do you have any advice for cities in developing countries without easy access to safe food sources?

Ooki: That’s difficult to say… to give advice I need to see the farms, and decide on a case-by-case

Mr. Ooki is working to produce fresh and safe vegetables for peace of mind.

basis, but, I would say that the keys to success are clean water and clean production. If the produce is not clean, people will not want to eat it. Safety in food provides a certain peace of mind.

The Secretary General of ICLEI, Konrad Otto-Zimmerman, invited me as an adviser of ICLEI and Secretary General of CITYNET to attend the 20^th Anniversary Congress of ICLEI in Incheon, Republic of Korea.  Since I also served in the Executive Committee of ICLEI as a representative of Southeast Asia when I was Mayor of the City of San Fernando, La Union, Philippines, I accepted the invitation without hesitation.

I conveyed a congratulatory message from CITYNET and emphasised that ICLEI and CITYNET can be effective partners, ICLEI as a global organisation and CITYNET as a regional organization in Asia Pacific.  ICLEI was organised 20 years ago and CITYNET was organized 23 years ago, and both have worked for the improvement of human settlements. Throughout this time, ICLEI has emphasised the environment, which cannot be overlooked when working for the sustainability of cities.

I was proud to share that as for City-to-City cooperation, we were awarded the UN-HABITAT’s Scroll of Honour Award in 2002. At this point, I would like to share that I, too, received the UN-HABITAT’s Scroll of Honour Award in 2000 for being active in gender empowerment of women, and for advocating city development strategies.

Since it was International Teacher’s Day, I urged everyone present to be teachers of the environment in their respective communities.

I was also asked to be a panelist on the session of recounting the history of ICLEI and how ICLEI has improved our cities.  The City of San Fernando had already embarked on projects like a green city with the planting of 1,340,000 trees in the span of three years. We implemented a project on clean air with the conversion of two stroke tricycles to four strokes. We also made our La Union Botanical Garden the lung of the city. Our project on solid waste management started with a controlled dumpsite and we now have an engineered landfill of 10 hectares, which was constructed on  “design, build, and operate” terms of reference with the assistance of the World Bank. We also established a waste water treatment plant in the central business district, and upgraded the waste water treatment plant at slaughterhouses, incorporating ECOSAN toilets (a form of dry sanitation) into public use. Recently, we have started a septic treatment facility with the help of USAID, Rotary International and the local Rotary Club of San Fernando, and the city, and most recently, the Eco-tanks Project through CITYNET.

I joined ICLEI to ask guidance on what else can we do for the environment.  I learned about CARBON FOOTPRINT, the importance of biodiversity, the HEAT toolkit for the environment, and through ICLEI, joined the International Council of Mayors for Climate Change, and the International Council of Mayors on Early Warning.

Networking is important and during the International Council of Mayors on Early Warning held in Bonn, I talked with mayors from Latin America, like those from Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua about forging Cityto-City cooperation. The Mayor of an El Salvadorian city said, “What?  Marriage between two poor cities will not work.”  I replied, “Oh, yes it can. With the help of godparents, it can.”  And so we will look to the rich cities and the international organisations like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, GTZ, CIDA, SIDA, AFS, CDIA, SIDA and the other agencies of the United Nations to be our godparents and make networking for the sustainability of cities possible.

Omar Kamil, Special Commissioner for Colombo Municipality

Omar Kamil has extensive years experience in many aspects of governance and has been involved with Colombo city politics for over 30 years. His achievements are numerous but one of the keys to his success has been his view on governance and leadership. Colombo itself has seen a great many changes and has been a member of CITYNET since 1989. Most recently the city has become a cleaner city thanks to ideas on a shifting of awareness and a kind of culture change. Mr. Kamil shared his views on good governance in an interview with CITYNET.

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Q: Tell us about how you came into office.

I became Special Commissioner through appointment by the president. Even though we supported different political parties he told me that the important thing is the right person for the job. He said he needed doers, not talkers, and so he extended his support.

Q: How has Colombo been able to transform itself, especially in regards to garbage?

I believe that Colombo has become on of the cleanest in the region. People used to throw garbage in the street – so we knew we needed a culture change in order to get people to work together. We worked together with the national government and the police forces and now if the people throw garbage then the law will come down hard on them. Sometimes it takes two or three times before it gets into people’s heads but eventually people fall in line. Now people are disciplined and do hard work and don’t throw garbage on the street.

Q: Can you elaborate on how you carried out this culture change within the city government?

We had a different kind of thinking to achieve a better city: we decided to put 48 people on a flight to Singapore where they spent four days, this included both the private and government sector members. I was able to lead this first delegation. Members were then able to see first hand examples of good governance and practices and share experiences – to lay a foundation. Travel widens horizons. People are then presented with new thinking – ask them to share and how to best translate and transfer this into other programmes. This helped us come up with a determined programme. The onus is then on our officers. You have to deliver on your promises too. You have to work as a team.

Q: What are your views on good governance?

In election you can disagree, but in terms of the city let us work together – this has got acceptance now. The most important thing we need is strong, ethical, committed and honest leadership. Workers need to know that their leader is behind them, also they are invited to regular discussion. You cannot demand respect, you are given it. We can see the difference in good work. Share what they do with other continuing officers.

Examples must come from the top. As mayor, you are the first citizen of the city. Unless you show at the top what discipline, governance and the good practices that you are practicing yourself, you cannot expect others to follow. You have to lead and show good examples. If others see commitment then they will follow and learn from you. Commitment is very important.

I learned from my father that power is to be used and not misused or abused. If you go before the temple of justice you must go with clean hands otherwise don’t expect others to follow you.

Q: How did you develop this idea?

I originally came from the private sector and was elected a councillor in 79. I became deputy mayor in 97. At that time the mayor was also from the private sector. We agreed that it was important to bring experience from private sector and a business-like approach to the city. We thought that must manage a city like a company as there is nothing called a free lunch. A city must be financially viable and we must show that we are serious people and that we are doers. The people responded by paying their taxes. I also made sure to make a signboard at the site of projects which said ”your municipal tax rupees at work” also including the amount payable, date and name of the contractor. The public can clearly see progress with that type of approach.

There was a time when the opposition and my party were fairly evenly split. But I urged everyone and said that we need to build confidence and share responsibility. We need to genuinely show that we are serious. That helped me to be in office for five years without problems. I must say that my council has the best top and middle management; however leadership and direction have to be given

What is an example of a good practice that you implemented?

We took the city workers to a resort hotel for a weekend. I told them “I’d like you to dream what the city would be in 20 years from now. “ We took elected officials for the same opportunity. It was something new for them but that kind of forward-looking and forward-thinking helped to build programmes that are locally suited.

Another practice is our communication with civil society which we meet with once a month. These include mainly retired people who are volunteers. They are from a wide-variety of backgrounds with expertise such as engineering and medicine. We asked the local business Chamber of Commerce to nominate people and we asked for a cross-section of society. The volunteers are very serious and also very critical. Since they were giving of their time they expect us to deliver on our promises and work. They have become a kind of think tank for the city. It is good that now we can show them that they are truly part of the city and they can also show leadership.

People are often reluctant to change and bad practices have been going on for a long time. To see a shift you need a culture change. We worked with a Norwegian organisation which offered funds on environmental issues and we prepared a TV programme – a 20 minute tele-drama. This also helped to change the mindset since TV has much more coverage than newspaper.

Q: What advice would you give for the strengthening of CITYNET?

CITYNET has played an important role in bringing cities together and establishing of experiences and good practices. I feel CITYNET is doing its part.

Colombo was given opportunities from CITYNET as well as from other organisations such as ADB and World Bank. With CITYNET we adopted the National Chapter and we were able to do some work in that regard. The 2^nd Asian Mayors forum was held in Colombo. The mayors of 60 cities as well as representatives of international organisations attended. Also 12 mayors from Sri Lanka attended, we treated them like foreign delegates and they stayed in the same hotels. They interacted with other delegates, through this experience the mindset was changed and they learned from that.

CITYNET should do its best to help less fortunate cities if it needs support and also give back up assistance. Let us work to continue to share best practices.

What advice would you give other cities in Asia?

Cities should look more business-like and have sustainability. You have to be able to manage within your own resources and work towards being financially strong. It is important for people to see progress. Visibility is also important and media plays a large role in this. The public must be informed.  Every Sunday in the newspaper we inform the public about what is going on. It is also important to have NGOs on your side.

Q:  What have been some of the challenges that you have faced?

We learned many lessons from the terrible downpour we had in September. There was a major flood, 60,000 needed shelter, so we needed time to mobilise. However the next day we were able to deal with the situation better. Leadership is most important in these situations. Key issues are methodology, common sense and how to set about. Through business I learned similar things – common sense, a sense of give and take and a commercial mind. Always try to understand another person’s side of the story, sharing in grief – all this develops understanding.

Q: Can you tell us about your famous 100 day plan?

I gave a promise that I will bring about visible change in the city within 100 days. At the end I promised that I will not remain if I do not deliver. On the following day we looked at what the most critical areas were. We identified garbage disposal, road resurfacing and rehabilitation, traffic management, public and curative health, low income settlements as well as improvement in utility services for the underserved population. In 100 days you could see a marked change in the quality of life. However, I had an advantage because I had hope and a good track record. I also made a tablet which said “100 days to make a city.” It was a symbol. People saw people working – they saw change. Good management has to come from the top. If the man at the bottom sees the man at the top it filters down. At end of 100 days there was a difference.

Now we are constantly looking for ways to better the city and start new plans. It is clear that in terms of the underserved population without them the economy won’t move. We are aiming to raise the quality of life of low income settlements – not only those with affluence should see changes…So quality of life and infrastructure is improving.

I thought I should put some details about YouthNet – who we are and what we aim for, so I’m going to write about YouthNet and what we learnt throughout the Study Visit in Makati, the Philippines.

We are an international youth organisation that focuses on development cooperation with a partnership with youth from different countries from Philippines, France and mostly from Japan. The reason why our blog is put on “CITYNET blog” is that we are supported by CITYNET.

Our mission is to contribute to world peace at youth level and progress together to be able to contribute to world peace in the future. We have five values – 1) Outreach, 2) Skills Development, 3) Sharing Experience, 4) Take Opportunities, Create Opportunities, 5) Build Network, Use Network.

YouthNet is still a new-born organization since April this year. However, we have come to operate some activities like Teambuilding, Workshop, and Study Visit is one of those too.

We participated in Study Visit to Makati, the Philippines as one of my colleagues has been writing. From my point of view, we experienced many things that were fresh and stimulating for us and learnt many things.

During the visit, we visited a lot of places and met a lot of people, and we are very impressed with youth in the Philippines because they are very active, highly-motivated and inspired. They are a part of society, which we could never imagine in Japan. They coordinate a lot of projects by themselves such as sports tournaments, fashion shows, workshops, and so on.

The biggest thing we learnt can be explained with one word, “human touch”. Every place we visit, we saw a smile on people’s face. They kindly welcomed us with a smile. We always saw a smile on their face, and importantly, we smiled together. No matter how old you are, no matter which country you are from, no matter what gender you are, we can smile anywhere in the world. That’s something we should bring back to Japan.

I would also like to mention that it was good that we had a feedback meeting everyday in limited time at night. It means a lot to us in my opinion. Having a meeting means that we were in Makati as a member of YouthNet, not individually. Throughout the meetings, we found a lot of things we could do as our activity such as workshop on culture, country and history, publishing a newsletter regularly and send it to the Network we have, and making a report book on the Study Visit.

Overall, the Study Visit made us think about a question – “What is happiness?” I hope we get the answer as we operate our projects.

Finally, we are very grateful for all the supports and kindnesses we received. Thank you very much to CITYNET for giving us a chance to go to Makati, to Makati City for accepting our request and coordinating such a grate programme, and to Barangays we visited for welcoming us very kindly.

We will share the experience we had in Makati with other members who could not go and carry on our activities with it. We hope to go back to Makati soon. Thank you very much.

Shoya

P.S. We will be updating next activities soon.