During COMCLIMA III in Recife (24-28 November 2014) ISOCARP Member Andries Geerse presented his spatial strategy for sustainable development “The way to go for Recife Brazil“. The strategy is ‘tailored’ to suit the specific characteristics of this Brazilian city. Its compactness provides the opportunity to lead the low carbon leader in the field of public transport, cycling, urban ecology, mixed-use buildings and energy supply. The problem however is space: the public domain covers only 30% of the total and is almost entirely occupied by traffic.
Geerse proposes to approximately 15% of Recife point as a special low carbon zone, also known as Zona de Desenvolvimento Urbano Baixo Emissao (ZDUBE). The first in the world, where low carbon targets determine the design of public space.
The field missions of Andries Geerse in May and November 2014 were made possible by Urban LEDS, the sustainability program for cities in emerging countries. This program is funded by the European Union and implemented by ICLEI, UN-Habitat and ISOCARP.