The best public transport system in the world

Curitiba in Brazil is no ordinary city; it has the best public transport system in the world. The mayor, Jaime Lerner, along with the council, began developing the

world-famous system in 1971. Mr Lerner had grown up in Curitiba and knew that the street was an important part of city life for the residents. He made many of the streets into pedestrian areas, with no access for cars. The council put in flowers, lights, and kiosks where people could sell food and other products. To encourage shoppers to use the new areas, the mayor gave away free paper so that local children could paint pictures in the street. Cyclists also benefit from 150km of cycle lanes, which follow old river valleys and railway tracks around the city.

Mr. Lerner realized that to increase the development and growth of the city in the future, the public transport system also had to improve. Buses were chosen as the main transport because it was the cheapest. Curitiba’s transport system now consists of over 300 routes that use around 1,900 buses to carry approximately 1.9 million passengers every day.

Approximately 60km of the roads are for buses only, so traffic jams are unusual. Bus travel is faster and more convenient than using private cars. The city now uses 30% less fuel than other large cities in Brazil and people spend only about 10% of their yearly salaries on transport costs.

Some of the buses are able to carry 170–270 passengers. School buses are yellow, and buses for disabled people are blue. They are designed with three doors – two exits and one entrance – so that people can get on and off quickly. Bus stations provide free maps and facilities to help parents with young children and people carrying heavy bags to board the buses easily. Passengers buy a ticket at the office in advance and then wait for their bus, like in an underground station. Because of the success of Curitiba’s public transport system, Jaime Lerner now offers advice to city councils around the world on how they can solve their cities’ transport problems.

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Have you ever thought about changing your appearance?

Most of us have complained about having a bad hair day or looking hideous in a photo. But experts say that becoming too obsessed about our appearance can be

bad for our health. Psychologist Sue Johnston explains:

‘Of course it’s natural for people to want to change the way they look – have a new haircut, buy something nice to wear to a party or make a good first impression at an interview, and many women don’t like to be seen without their make-up.

But the real problems start when people feel that there’s something they can’t change that makes them feel unattractive. It may be sticking-out ears, an unusually-shaped nose, or perhaps they are overweight.

In serious cases this small thing can often take over their lives completely, making them feel anxious about going out in public and making them depressed. In 2006 we did a Body Image Survey to learn more about how people gain confidence in themselves. Below are a few suggestions on how to feel good about yourself.

1 Think about your skills and talents. For example, focus on success at work, participating in sports, and friendships. Once you realize that you can achieve your goals and have a happy, full life, appearance will seem less important. If you do have negative feelings about your appearance, try to do something positive like buying some new clothes or taking up a new hobby.

2 Learn to accept that you are unique. There’s no one else in the world like you and that makes you very special. Love the unusual things about yourself. If you

hate your red hair because it’s so different, then teach yourself to think about it as beautiful and exotic!

3 Forget about what you can’t control. There’s one simple rule: be realistic, work on improving what you can change, and don’t spend time worrying about anything else.

4 Stop buying fashion magazines and comparing yourself to the models. This has a very negative effect. Remember – they don’t look that good without a personal hairstylist, make-up artist and computer generated photography!

5 Finally, if you still feel depressed about the way you look, consider getting professional advice.’

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