Uploaded on 2017-06-25 by Paloma Geovanna Souza Moreira

My ranking of most liveable cities: 1.Vienna (Austria) 2.Busan (South Korea) 3.Porto (Portugal) 4.New York (United States of America) 5.Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) Factors that make a city liveable: 1.Satisfaction with public governance (Because efficient government generates satisfaction and confidence in the population, which are essential factors for an atmosphere of harmony in the city) 2.Safety/Crime (It is essential that people feel safe throughout their day, no matter where they are. No one should have to fear for their own safety) 3.Options for recreation (Just as it is necessary for people to have some occupation, it is also necessary that they have leisure options, so that they can rest with their families; this ensures more satisfied and productive workers) 4.State of the natural environment and its management (It is a civil right that people have access to a preserved environment, just as it is also the right of future generations to enjoy these natural resources; for this to happen, only with good planning and sustainable initiatives) 5.Acessibility and urban mobility (Many large cities have their potential compromised by the lack of accessibility and urban mobility. For the environment, traffic jams cause the production of more CO2, while for citizens it can be life-threatening in emergencies. And these examples are just the beginning) My city in this criteria (Belem): 1.In the situation of the crisis, this city is one of the few that keeps the good management of the public bills. However, various infrastructure works are behind schedule and jeopardize mobility. In addition, there are few investments in maintaining the basic aspects, such as public signale and guarantee of accessibility for the disabled. 2.There were some peripheral neighborhoods that were marginalized on the security issue but, today, no one can relax anywhere. Robberies are made by motorcycle, by private cars, by taxi, by foot...there are places for which it is not safe to go at certain times. In others, it's dangerous all day. 3.There is a good deal of leisure options in the city center, but the outskirts lack options, making the downtown area a place of bloating. Major events, however, such as concerts and football matches, are held away from the center and yet they are capablr of causing immense inconveniences in the city. 4.Despite the requirements of the Brazilian legislation, the city does not have a landfill and lacks good landscaping. The canals and streets are used as trash cans by the population and the maintenance of the city is only carried out at the eve of major events and, usually, only in the areas where these events will be held. 5.The city was not planned, the sidewalks do not follow a standard of accessibility and very few places meet minimum conditions of accessibility. The city is a conurbation point and the roads and streets were not meant to accommodate the full volume of people who travel through Belem every day. Solutions for my city (Belem): 1.It is necessary that the projects of infrastructure have a detailed planning before being initiated, in order to cause the minimum of disturbances. It is also necessary that there is a constant adaptation of the city to be able to attend the needs of the population that lives here. 2.It is essential that the police force receives adequate training and is distributed throughout the city to patrol. An efficient re-socialization program also needs to be implemented in prisons, thereby reducing the number of criminals and the recidivism. 3.It is fundamental that investments are made in the peripheral area of the city, in order to relieve the swelling in the center. Facilitating the process of opening a venture to private enterprises and creating projects to value the outskirts are good ideas. 4.It is extremely important that the city obey the criteria imposed by Brazilian legislation; many laws created to ensure the conviviality are violated every day, leaving people constantly stressed. It is also important to pay more attention to the landscaping of the city, as there are many hoses planted on the sidewalks to provide a little protection from the sun, but these trees simply destroy the concrete from the sidewalks with their roots, damaging both the appearance and the functionality of the pavement. 5.It is important for the city to be able to keep the flow of cars and people constant, since delays generate financial losses and minimize the efficiency of the city. For this, it is fundamental the streets receive maintenance, as well as other alternatives for transportation are created. Expanding and facilitating river transportation is a good solution due to the geographical location of the city.