Environmental Science, 10th Edition (Cunningham)

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Take a virtual field trip with Google Earth!
Google Earth is a free, online application that uses satellite imagery to allow the user to zoom across the globe in a realistic, virtual environment. Downloading Google Earth is free at http://www.earth.google.com.

An overview manual is available by clicking here... Google Earth Overview (342.0K)

To continue:
- Make sure you have the Google Earth software installed and running.
- Copy the following latitude and longitude and paste into the "Fly to" field under the Search tab.
- Hit "Enter" for Google Earth to take you to the specified coordinates, then come back here and read the following overview.

Latitude/Longitude: -25.4302, -49.2693

Overview: Curitiba, Brazil, pp. 487, 508

Because Curitiba is a city of nearly 2 million people, we've provided several place markers to show some of these features.

1. Rapid transit terminals serve as transfer points for passengers transferring between the dedicated high-speed bus ways and local feeder routes as well as providing shopping opportunities where commuters can buy food and other daily necessities. In the terminal building (4 large, arch-topped, tubular structures) there are shopping arcades. Outside in the bus yard, you can see both single-unit local buses and the bi-articulated high-speed buses. Passengers board these buses at the long platforms with rows of square skylights. Notice that the high-speed buses load from the left side of the largest platform, while local (single unit) buses load on the right. If you follow the dedicated transit way to the north (toward town), you'll see some of the three-unit buses on roads as well as small, widely spaced intermediate stops. Local buses (single units) can be seen sharing city streets with cars.



2. Rua Quinze de Novembro (The 15^th of November Street) in the heart of Curitiba is the center of the walking district. This is also the heart of the historic city. Notice the absence of vehicles and the presence of trees in the center of the street. These walking streets offer shoppers and residents numerous places to sit and chat or have a bite to eat. Although shop owners were skeptical of the concept at first, this district has proven to be highly successful. There isn't just a single pedestrian mall in Curitiba , as there is in many cities, but rather many blocks of the central downtown are automobile free.
   If you look about one block east of this place marker, you can see one of the "tube" bus stations that speed up the bus loading and unloading process.



3. The Parque Tangua is the newest and one of the largest city parks in Curitiba . It was created (as were several of the parks) in an abandoned stone quarry. The centerpiece of the park is a curved pavilion sitting above a high cliff overlooking a small lake used for boating. This pavilion is shown in the opening photograph for chapter 22.



4. The Botanic Garden is another iconic place for Curitiba . The central greenhouse, designed by former mayor Jamie Lerner, has his signature tubular construction, which is both strong and inexpensive to build. Many brochures about Curitiba show the triple domed greenhouse. Notice the interesting patterns of the formal gardens, the paths for strolling through outdoor collections, and the fact that a patch of native forest is preserved in this garden.

1			Look at the concentrated shantytowns around the place marker for Rio de Janeiro (later in this chapter). Do you see similar informal developments in Curitiba?
			A)	Yes, there are similar concentrated shantytowns all over Curitiba.
			B)	There are some shantytowns scattered around Curitiba.
			C)	There are a few shantytowns in Curitiba, if you look hard.
			D)	Curitiba has almost no shantytown neighborhoods, or favelas, which are abundant in Rio.
2			Why does Curitiba appear to have few shantytowns compared to Rio?
			A)	Curitiba has had stronger planning.
			B)	Curitiba has had better investment in infrastructure.
			C)	Curitiba has had more equitable distribution of wealth.
			D)	Curitiba has had much smaller influxes of impoverished populations.
			E)	All the responses given above are factors benefiting Curitiba.
3			Look at the red buses parked at the bus terminal place marker. Are the three units of the biarticulated buses the same size, and why?
			A)	Each unit is the same size, as per regulatory transportation requirements.
			B)	The middle unit is shorter than the other two, which in Brazil is considered aesthetically pleasing.
			C)	The middle unit is shorter than the other two, which helps the buses turn more easily.
			D)	The first unit is shorter, because that's where the bus driver sits.
			E)	The last unit is shorter, because that's where the pastries and chocolates are sold.
4			What is the latitude of Curitiba?
			A)	20 degrees south
			B)	20 degrees north
			C)	25 degrees south
			D)	25 degrees north
			E)	30 degrees south