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The chapter also contrasts the divergent paths taken by local governments both in Curitiba and São Paulo regarding urban growth and public policy.
Chapter 2 examines the urban reforms in Curitiba, having as a starting point the enactment in 1965 of a sensible urban policy instrument, officially called the Plano Diretor (Master Plan). This plan soon became the ultimate tool for successive governments to deal with city growth and the challenges posed by intense urbanization. The chapter proceeds with a systematic analysis of what municipal authorities have accomplished with the implementation of the Master Plan, particularly examining the public transportation and environmental management policies.
The comprehensive urban development process in Curitiba, based on an urban vision that calls for an integrative approach to deal with the city’s woes, did not emerge by chance. To explain this complex process of urban reform, chapter 3 presents my analytical model for institutional change and its applicability to the politics of urban development in Curitiba. Chapter 4 contains an explanatory discussion of the succession of policy failures in the city of São Paulo with an analysis of the municipal decision-making process of different city administrations. The final chapter offers a synthesis of the main arguments and explores the lessons that the urban experiment in Curitiba may offer to those concerned with the quality of life in cities around the world.