14/01/24

Brazil’s Permanent “Green” Carnival

Author MIC Team

When we hear the word “Brazil” the first image that comes to mind is a carnival full of colors, with people dancing and rejoicing in fancy costumes decorated with feathers. But what if we tell you that there is a city in Brazil that is a carnival of green all year round? A city worth learning from, even if you don’t dance all day, and carnival colors are replaced by shades of green?
Welcome to Curitiba, the green city of Brazil. It is located in the southeast of the happiest country in the world and within a span of less than three decades, has managed to transform from a remote city into a modern metropolis with one of the highest levels of quality of life in the country. How? All it takes is listening to the needs of the residents, expanding the city’s green lungs, and placing the main emphasis on public transportation.
Okay, so maybe it’s not that simple. Urban engineers have moved mountains, literally, to create roads and parking lots, while trying to take into account the location of homes, industry and the residents’ needs.

But all too often, urban engineers are forced to sacrifice environmental interests for this purpose. After all, we don’t hear any complaints from the environment … But actually, the environment does have some complaints, and if the environment is not able to voice those complaints, the residents and environmental activists do so.
In Curitiba, they decided to do things differently. It stands out in the Brazilian landscape mainly because it presents a very different picture from the Brazilian reality one expects. Low crime rates, high levels of education and low air pollution. Or in other words: high quality of life. In even simpler words: we want what they have!

So what’s special about this city?

Obviously you have heard of promoting public transportation. But it is one thing to declare a preference for public transportation, and quite another to do so. In Curitiba urban planners not only talk but also act. As well as the roads, which have been paved with planning that takes into account ground conditions and landscape, public transport itself is efficient and convenient at levels that are rarely seen elsewhere in the world. Neighborhood bus lines complement the express lines, there are many convenient bus-stops, and even the payment system enables a saving in travel time. Instead of creating delays by paying the driver upon boarding the bus, Curitiba has a system for paying for the trip in advance. Enabling the driver to concentrate exclusively on driving, and not working as a ticket-vendor, saves about a third (!!!) of travel time. In addition, the buses have a capacity of up to 270 people, reducing the number of vehicles needed without inconveniencing the passengers.

So why have they stuck with buses when everyone is talking about subways? The calculation is simple: while the cost of one kilometer of subway ranges from $60 million to $70 million, the cost of a kilometer of road is only about a quarter of a million dollars. It makes mathematical sense, doesn’t it? Talking of money matters, the monthly expenditure of residents on public transportation is minimal and amounts to only about 10% of the average wage, so the percentage of its users remains high, preventing road congestion, limiting air pollution and avoiding parking problems. In addition, to encourage residents to travel by public transport and also increase recycling, Curitiba’s mayor, Jaime Lerner, initiated an ingenious system in which a resident who brings household garbage for recycling receives vouchers for free bus travel. That’s a WIN-WIN plan!

But Curitiba didn’t stop at public transportation. It has also significantly increased the green spaces, and has earned the nickname “the green city”. In the 1950s, the city was hit by terrible floods from the adjacent Iguazu River. In the 1960s, the municipality decided to put an end to the issue and stopped all building permits in areas on the banks of the river, establishing public parks there instead, and digging artificial lakes to drain the excess water. In this way, the problem of floods, which had frequently disrupted the lives of the residents, was solved, whilst also increasing the green lungs of the city. There is no doubt that Curitiba is a green paradise.

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20/06/23

The Giving Tree

Author MIC Team

Becoming a “smart” city is not only about innovative technology. Sometimes it’s the simplest things, the things that you are so used to seeing that you don’t pay them any attention, like plants and trees. But make no mistake – they are very, very important.

No matter what city you live in, or visit, wherever you walk, whether it’s on the way to work, shopping or just to see friends, you will always see trees and greenery along your path in one form or another. It’s not just because the mayor is a green enthusiast, although that’s also possible! The truth is that it is an effective, and simple method of contributing to an economic, social ,and environmental city. A green environment encourages people to walk rather than drive, which moderates the temperature, helping to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as improving the personal well-being of residents and more.

An End to the Global Warming Heatwave

Well, no, the heatwave isn’t over, and we have not yet solved the problem of global warming, but trees certainly have a significant effect on the temperature around them, so in cities suffering from extreme heat, it is advisable to incorporate tree planting as part of planning in urban spaces. Trees reduce the temperature around them by an average of 2–5 degrees Celsius. This is a very significant difference, especially in a hot country like Israel ,and all the more so during the global warming crisis in which we live. Ficus trees, for example, are highly recommended for this purpose and they can lower the temperature around them by up to 5.5 degrees.

Have a Nice Trip

Another advantage of trees in the urban space is that it leads to a preference for public transport over traveling by private car. How? The truth is that this solution is very simple! Trees in the vicinity of a bus-stop, for example, will provide a wider shade area than the shading of the bus stop itself. This shade offers a cooling environment for those waiting at the bus stop, by reducing the sun-rays and also reducing heat release from surfaces near the bus stop. The result effects on the willingness of residents to use public transportation, walk, and cycle. Of course, trees are not the only factor, and many other aspects are needed to ensure the success of public transport in the city, but that’s a different matter.

Take a Deep Breath

Take a deep breath before you continue reading. How does the air feel? Fresh and clean? We want to remind you that trees purify the air. How do they do that? Trees don’t reduce the amount of pollution that is emitted, but they can absorb air pollution and emit oxygen instead, thus cleansing the air that the residents breathe. It is no secret that air pollution has a huge impact on our health, so addressing it offers a significant benefit in maintaining public health. In addition, let’s not forget the dangers of exposure to solar radiation, which is also reduced by trees planted in urban spaces.

And what about financial benefits? The three issues we have raised so far are just some of the advantages of using trees in urban spaces, and if you put them all together, the result is financial gain. How? Think about the household energy savings due to shade, the impact on air and water quality in the city, the increase in house value. If that’s not enough, trees also boost domestic and foreign tourism, and once you’ve brought in the tourists, then what about shopping? – Studies show that consumers are willing to pay between 9% and 12% more in stores on streets where there are trees.

Well, what do you think? It’s worthwhile, isn’t it?

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22/04/23

Earth Day – The responsibility of local authorities to protect the globe

Author MIC Team

Earth Day is an international initiative held on the twenty-second of April every year, in order to raise awareness of the need to protect the globe and preserve a green and sustainable environment.

Public awareness of the factors that pollute the Earth and harm it is important as it leads to a reduction in the use of non-perishable waste, along with an increase in use of products and systems with a high energy rating and energy savings. However, awareness by itself is insufficient when it is not supported by an orderly policy, raising the issue in local authorities, state authorities, organizations and companies.

Awareness alone is not enough to attain the ambitious goal of protecting the planet from threats including climate change and global warming, loss of energy sources, greenhouse gas emissions and ozone expansion, rising sea-levels due to melting glaciers and water volume changes due to global warming and pollution.

Genuine protection of the planet is achieved through legislation, together with initiatives undertaken by local authorities, using innovative technological systems in a variety of fields.

How can a local authority contribute to protecting the planet and creating a green urban environment?

The local authority is responsible for a variety of measures for protecting the environment, with many tools at its disposal, both in the treatment of waste and sanitation, as well as being responsible for buildings, infrastructure and transportation, education, safety, water resources and resident services

MIC (Municipal Innovation Center) presents a wide range of systems and tools, which make use of the latest technologies to enable local authorities to improve the resident services, whilst also offering economic savings and maintaining a green urban environment with energy efficiency. Here are some examples:

Water economy management
An advanced system from Aquarius Spectrum allows the municipal authority to anticipate and locate leaks and latent leaks, and to evaluate the condition of the pipes at any time. The system is based on “cloud” technology that enables documentation, storage and comparison of data. The system supports all types of pipework and infrastructure, and is designed to locate leaks, even those which originate from holes with a small diameter, which significantly reduces the costs of water loss and pipe malfunctions as well as the costs of maintenance and repairs as needed.

Smart transportation
Israeli software company Axilion has developed a quality solution for managing traffic for local authorities in Israel , to address the challenges of congestion and traffic jams, and for managing a smart, efficient and safe transportation system. The company develops and implements networks of smart traffic lights that help regulate traffic, identify hazards, congestion and unusual events, prioritize and manage means of public transportation and optimal pedestrian infrastructure. The systems, which are already being implemented in a number of cities in Israel and around the world, boast an increase in safety of tens of percent, a significant reduction in traffic jams, and a reduction of travel times in urban areas of nearly fifty percent.
This translates to a reduction in fuel and energy use, reduced pollutants and gas emissions from vehicles and improved quality of life for residents.

Public health
A smart system for monitoring noise, abnormal radiation levels and air pollution in educational buildings, education centers etc enables rapid treatment of any problems and helps to maintain the health of citizens and residents. The system from the Israeli company RADGREEN combines a large number of sensors for monitoring a variety of factors and is already prominent in its efficiency and contribution to the urban environment, in cities in Israel and abroad.

Waste disposal
The ECOCAL system from Maskal operates smart bins within a municipal framework, which provide savings and increased efficiency, using sensors that monitor the weight of public bins, the level of acidity and their temperature, while transmitting the data in real time to the municipal control center.

The sanitation departments in the authority receive guidance and management of employee efficiency, as well as help in creating routes for the prioritization of waste disposal, leading to a saving in manpower and prompt removal of bins that emit toxins and constitute a sanitary hazard, whilst maintaining transparency and full control.

The question often arises as to what is actually the responsibility of a local authority in the field of preserving the environment, the contribution to global ecology, and the impact on the interactions between the man-made and serviceable systems, and the existing natural systems. Over the last decade, there has been a growing understanding that the connection exists in synergy, which actually enables municipal and local authorities, by making the right choices and investments in systems and infrastructure developed with environmental vision, to increase residents’ level of happiness and satisfaction, make savings on expensive operating costs and contribute to preserving the planet. .

MIC, The Innovation Center from Mashkal, offers an innovative experience and a glimpse into a green, efficient and innovative future world, where you can find solutions and advanced systems in all areas of life in the public sphere. Come and visit, we’re looking forward to meeting you.