Brazil - Belo Horizonte
The Urban Pathways Implementation Tracker is tracking the Projects Progress
Belo Horizonte
Since 2017 Urban Pathways has been supporting Belo Horizonte, the third largest metropolitan region in Brazil, in the implementation of active mobility projects. For this, UP has invited Belo Horizonte to participate in several international fora, training and peer-to-peer learning. Moreover, UP has provided technical assistance in the development of project proposals to be submitted to donors. As a result, in 2019 Belo Horizonte implemented four “Zones 30”, one of which counted with the support of UP from conceptualization to financing, the Zone 30 Confisco. The successful implementation of Zones 30 in Belo Horizonte has led to a great acceptance from citizens and political support. Thus, UP would like to continue supporting Belo Horizonte in the development of active mobility projects, awareness raising and cross-sectorial integration related to climate change mitigation. For the latter, several discussions and activities related to waste management have already been carried out with the city and will be integrated in the implementation of the EcoZone in the Santa Tereza neighbourhood. |
Factsheet
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Pilot and Demonstration Action
The Zone 30 implementation in the Confisco Neighbourhood During September and October 2019, BHTRANS with the support provided by the Wuppertal Institute, UN-Habitat and WRI Brasil in the context of the Urban Pathways project and its environMENTALISE Initiative carried out various activities for the implementation of a Zone 30 in the surroundings of the Anne Frank Municipal School in the Confisco neighbourhood. The Confisco neighbourhood is located in the Pampulha administrative region, a peripheral area of Belo Horizonte. The aim of the project was to increase the road safety around the school and raise awareness among the students and the local community about climate change related topics such as sustainable urban mobility and waste management. The success of the project relies on 3 key elements, i.e., community participation, inter-institutional cooperation and before and after assessments, which included vehicles and pedestrian counts, surveys, AQ monitoring and . The overall results of the project are a low-cost Zone 30, where the safety around the school area and the social cohesion in the neighbourhood are increased. |
Air Quality sensing powered by Citizen Science
In October 2019 the FabLab Newton Paiva was identified as the best local partner to implement the AQ sensors assembly workshop. FabLAB Newton is a MIT-accredited laboratory with digital (computer-aided) manufacturing equipment for the design and prototyping located at the Newton Paiva University in Belo Horizonte. FabLAB Newton, launched in October 2015, is an academic FabLab and the first one in the city. After several online meetings and the shipment of 6 assembly kits, in February 2020, open-seneca provided a virtual seminar to FabLab Newton to explain them step by step how to build the AQ measuring devices, so that they could replicate the workshop on site with the cyclist association BHemCiclo. The on-site workshop was planned for March 15th, but given the COVID-19 situation, the workshop was postponed. Moreover, the FCA Group, which has an assembly plant in Belo Horizonte has shown interest in purchasing additional 100 kits for local assembly as part of their community education program. Such a development could expand the city’s AQ monitoring network significantly. Budget: 655 EUR |
Fleet renewal of diesel by electric buses
Understanding the importance of implementing sustainable mobility solutions in a city with one of the highest motorisation rates in Brazil and where 53% of the GHG emissions come from road transport, in 2010 Belo Horizonte approved an innovative Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, called PlanMob-BH. In December 2015, BHTrans tested a BYD electric bus on two routes of public transport. During the tests, BHTrans directors and technicians evaluated the safety and comfort aspects for users and drivers. The bus is 100% electric, powered by iron phosphate batteries, and can be charged in only five hours. The electric bus is already being manufactured in Brazil, where it has been tested in public transportation lines in many cities, including São Paulo (SP), Porto Alegre (RS) and Campinas (SP) (BHTrans, 2015). In the first phase, the goal is to include at least 25 electric buses in the conventional bus service funded by inter- national resources. This project, which was submitted with the support of UP, was one of the 20 finalist cities (from the 140 that submitted an application) of the Global Climate City Challenge, a joint initiative of the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). Belo Horizonte was not selected for the next phase. Thus, it is actively looking for further financing sources to fund its 25 first electric buses. Estimated budget: 3.6 million EUR Estimated GHG emissions reduction: 1,888 tCO2/year |
Pilot City: Belo Horizonte
Brazil´s Nationally Determined Contribution target is 37% and 43% emission reduction below 2005 levels by 2025 and 2030. Belo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais and located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country and has a population of over 2.4 million, with 5.7 million in the official Metropolitan Area (IBGE, 2014). Considering the rather moderate ambition level of Brazil’s NDC, local action in cities play a crucial role for climate change mitigation. Belo Horizonte is one example of an active mid-sized city commited to sustainable development. |
Policy Environment Assessment
In its NDC, Brazil commits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37% below 2005 levels by 2025. The NDC also contains a subsequent indicative contribution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels in 2030. Compared to the 1990 level this translates to 6% respectively 16% reduction. With this target Brazil is the first major developing country to commit to an absolute GHG reduction below 1990 levels. |
Project Scoping Paper
One of the core objectives is the development and implementation of projects that help decarbonising urban energy, mobility and resource sectors. The projects concepts that are considered to be viable will be later developed into bankable projects for which funding will be sought. Belo Horizonte has an innovative Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, called PlanMob-BH, with comprehensive measures including TOD, BRT and Bike solutions. In September of 2013, Belo Horizonte formalized PlanMob-BH as a guide for improving mobility for the next 20 years. Belo Horizonte became the first city in Brazil to have a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan with a long-term vision that links mobility to urban development goals. |
Walkability in Belo Horizonte
With regard to mobility, Belo Horizonte has an innovative Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, called PlanMob-BH, with comprehensive measures including TOD, BRT andBike solutions since 2013. By 2030, the plan expects that the mea-sures implemented contribute to reductions of 36% in GHG emis-sions, 25% in travel time and 19% in transport costs (Secretaria Municipal de Governo BH, 2013). A process of review and adjust-ment of the plan started in 2016 and was approved in 2017. The plan contains 8 intervention areas, one of which is active mobilitycomposed by the programmes Pedala BH and BH a pé also mentioned in the Smart City plan. The main purpose of these measures is to increase the modal share of bicycle from 0.4% to 6% by 2020 and to improve the public space to create walkability. |
Bankable Project: Cachoeirinha
Worldwide, road accidents are the cause of death of more than 500 children daily, 92% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries (ITDP, 2018). Additionally, in 2012, air pollution caused the death of 3 million people and 169,250 children under the age of five, of which 87% also occurred in low- and middle-income countries (WHO, 2016). Moreover, children and teenagers have important mobility needs as they commute every day to school and back. In Brazil, almost 25% of the population is in school age, i.e. between 4 and 17 years old (IBGE, 2010). Accordingly, the provision of safe routes to and school zones is crucial. The Zone 30 project in the Cachoeirinha neighbourhood is the first of a series of planned interventions to be implemented in approximately 25 blocks. The first intervention will be in an area of the neighbourhood where the conflict between pedestrians and motor vehicles is critical because of the width of the road, the lack of signage for vehicles, the very narrow sidewalks and the intense flow of children and adolescents due to the existence of two large schools in the area. |