Celebrating Pinpricks of Change that Enrich City Life JAIME LERNER URBAN ACUPUNCTURE URBAN ACUPUNCTURE Jaime Lerner Washington | Covelo | London Copyright © 2014 Jaime Lerner Translated from the Portuguese by Mac Margolis, Peter Muello, and Ariadne Daher. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, 2000 M Street, NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036 Island Press is a trademark of The Center for Resource Economics. This project was made possible with the support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Island Press would also like to acknowledge the collaboration of the Center for the Living City. Library of Congress Control Number: 2014944763 Printed on recycled, acid-free paper Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Keywords: Architecture, Barcelona, Beijing, bicycling, bus rapid transit, Curitiba, Paris, pedestrian zones, public markets, public space, public transportation, urbanism, urban planning CONTENTS Preface by Carol Coletta, Knight Foundation Foreword by Jan Gehl Introduction 24-Hour Shopkeepers in New York City The Old Cinema Novo Rescuing a River The Forbidden City Cali Do Nothing! Urgently Around the Clock, or The 24-Hour City Urban Kindness Musical Acupuncture Continuity is Life Street Sounds, Colors, and Scents Good Recycling People in the Streets Smart Car, Smart Bus Commitment to Solidarity Draw Your City Instructions for Performing Urban Acupuncture Creative Leisure vs. Industrious Mediocrity Self-Esteem Is Good Acupuncture Light Is Good Acupuncture Aqua-puncture The Mobility Card Eco-clock Arborescence Produced Memory Of Parks, Squares, and Monuments The One-Page Guide Urban Cholesterol Buildings with Dignity Acupuncture of Silence Ramblas and Galleries A Pinprick Doesn’t Hurt Trompe L’ oeil A Letter to Fellini How to Find Someone in a City The Presence of Genius Markets and Street Fairs The Bar Counter Love for the City PREFACE It is with great pride that we present this English trans- lation of Jaime Lerner’s Urban Acupuncture. We know it belongs to the canon of great urban readings, and Jaime follows in the tradition of Jane Jacobs, William Whyte, and many other visionaries who have illuminated the world’s thinking on cities. Urban Acupuncture is a work of fierce love for real, living, people-filled cities and cities for people. Jaime’s words emerge from knowing many cities and loving each of them for the surprises, delights, and kindness they offer, from the delight of a shaded sidewalk to the gift of a trumpeter who serenades his neighborhood every evening. Jaime sees all these small wonders of a city and cele- brates them. But Jaime is not just an observer. His love for cities bears fruit in a fierce devotion to making them work. He’s an actor and a reinventor. He doesn’t just preach urban ix