Eduardo Pimentel, mayor of Curitiba, details the initiatives that are reinvigorating public services, business and economy in the city named the world’s smartest in 2023.
SmartCitiesWorld (SCW): Curitiba has long been recognised as a pioneer in urban planning and sustainability. How are its current smart city initiatives evolving this legacy to meet the needs of today’s society?
Eduardo Pimentel (EP): A smart city is one that fosters economic development while improving the quality of life for its inhabitants. As deputy mayor of Curitiba from 2017 to 2024, I actively participated in the transformations that earned the capital the title of Smart City 2023 [at Smart City Expo World Congress]. Equally significant were the recognitions as the Most Egalitarian Capital in Brazil and the city with the Best Quality of Life in the country.
Projects such as the Caximba New Neighbourhood, Curitiba More Energy, the new Inter 2 bus corridor, the Digital Wall, the Urban Hypervisor, and urban agriculture marked the beginning of a journey to implement transformative actions for a more humane, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable city. These initiatives build upon past achievements like our renowned BRT (bus rapid transit) system and the Agache Urban Master Plan, which helped shape the Curitiba we know, live in, and take pride in today.
Now, as mayor of Curitiba, I am committed to further advancing these legacies. And I make this promise: in the next four years, we will lead a revolution because I have an ambitious government plan, and with the support and dedication of my entire team, I will deliver it.
We have already launched Curitiba Back to the Centre – the largest revitalisation project in the city’s central region, featuring initiatives such as Sunday at the Centre, Safe Centre, and shelters for people experiencing homelessness. The Daycare Vouchers programme already guarantees access to daycare for families earning up to three minimum wages. We have delivered another 100 homes in the Caximba New Neighbourhood, the capital’s largest recent socio-environmental project. And we are maintaining strong momentum on major mobility projects like the new Inter 2 corridor and the East-West BRT line.
Through simple yet intelligent actions, we are improving Curitiba’s business environment because a smart city must help generate jobs. We’ve already implemented programmes like the Qualification Voucher for workforce training and zero bus fares for job seekers registered with the municipal SINE (national employment system).
SCW: What role does technology play in making public services more efficient and inclusive in Curitiba, and how do you ensure that smart solutions truly serve all residents, including the most vulnerable?
EP: The digital revolution is transforming governments and introducing new ways to manage public policies in line with the population’s demand for improved services – a core principle of a smart city.
In Curitiba, municipal departments and agencies are integrating technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), to streamline internal processes, increase security, improve urban maintenance, and enhance citizen services, often making solutions available at the click of a button.
Key improvements already adopted by City Hall include platforms that integrate smart city services: the Health Now app, the 156 toll-free number, the Curitiba App, the Health Now Centre for online consultations, and Digital Janitorial. This uses vehicles equipped with sensors and cameras to detect issues, from potholes to faulty lighting, and automatically issues work orders for City Hall teams to address them quickly.
But we aim to go even further. We will expand the Digital Wall – the city’s video monitoring system for security and traffic – which currently includes approximately 1,325 fixed cameras, 515 bodycams, and 160 vehicle cameras used by the Municipal Guard.
We are also testing and scaling the Urban Hypervisor – a data-sharing platform that collects, processes, and distributes information to manage city services in real time and inform policy planning. During my term, the Hypervisor’s indicators will help us respond even more swiftly to the population’s needs. With this platform, we can identify the most appropriate decisions, necessary actions, and related costs to effectively implement the objectives of our programmes.
SCW: Could you share an example of a recent smart city project in Curitiba that you feel has had a significant impact on the daily lives of citizens?
EP: After just 100 days in office, we fulfilled one of my main campaign promises. Curitiba Back to the Centre, our programme to redevelop the capital’s downtown area, is already delivering real change, with its first initiatives beginning to transform the city’s heart for the better.
Since January, we have launched multisectoral efforts to restore the area’s appeal, including: events like Sunday at the Centre, which attracted thousands to Rua Emiliano Perneta; urban renewal works; enhanced public safety under the Safe Centre programme; expanded outreach by FAS teams to assist at-risk populations; property reoccupation; incentives for commerce; and historical preservation.
Throughout 2025, we will continue advancing downtown reoccupation through measures like Social Rent. By the end of my term in 2028, we will also encourage entrepreneurs and developers to invest in retrofitting abandoned commercial and residential buildings in the city centre. I truly hope this becomes one of the defining legacies of my administration as mayor of Curitiba.
SCW: How do you engage residents when designing and implementing smart city initiatives? What steps do you take to ensure that these efforts reflect the region’s values and priorities?
EP: Citizens today increasingly understand the importance of actively participating in projects aimed at improving their own quality of life. In Curitiba, public participation is realised through the Speak Curitiba (in Portuguese: Fala Curitiba) public consultation programme. Residents are the ones who best understand the real issues in mobility, bureaucracy, inequality, and more, and they can be the agents of change and guardians of the city’s long-term agenda.
Speak Curitiba includes in-person meetings at the Streets of Citizenship and an online platform where everyone can submit their priorities. Fala Curitiba has been recognised by the United Nations as a local model of governance aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.
Additionally, my administration is committed to further integrating the data systems of all municipal departments, and I have directed the City Comptroller General to enhance transparency through broader disclosure of public data (big data).
SCW: Looking to the future, what are your main priorities for advancing Curitiba’s smart city strategy, and which partnerships or innovations have excited you the most?
EP: I’m enthusiastic! By working together, public authorities, entrepreneurs, universities, large corporations, trade associations, and civil society, we can implement solutions and overcome major urban challenges: mobility, climate change, job creation, poverty, hunger, and urban renewal.
Any isolated action would have limited impact. Every smart city initiative must be approached as part of a network. Without universities, there is no research or skilled workforce. Without businesses, research doesn’t become innovative products or services. Without citizens, there’s no demand or insight into a city’s real needs. And without government, particularly the strong partnership between the City of Curitiba and the Government of Paraná State, there would be no connection between all these actors or the investments needed to bring policies to life.
This networked approach may require more effort, since all stakeholders must work to overcome challenges together, but the outcomes are far more effective. It also ensures greater longevity, credibility, and legitimacy for smart city initiatives like those in Curitiba.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Luke Antoniou
Quelle/Source: Smart Cities World, 07.05.2025
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