This article aims to present how the Brazilian government can make Brazilian cities environmentally sustainable and smart. The city will reach the condition of sustainable when it is contributing to the well-being of its population, which is its main objective without harming the environment. Every city reaches the condition of smart city when its managers consider it as a system and make use of information technology in its planning and control process, counting on the effective support of its population. Sustainable cities are the key to achieving social well-being for their populations and achieving climate goals for the entire planet that contribute to avoiding catastrophic global climate change. In turn, smart cities will make sustainable cities leverage their actions in achieving the well-being of their populations and in facing global climate change.

1. 1
HOW THE GOVERNMENT OF BRAZIL CAN MAKE BRAZILIAN CITIES
SUSTAINABLE AND SMART
Fernando Alcoforado*
This article aims to present how the Brazilian government can make Brazilian cities
environmentally sustainable and smart. The city will reach the condition of sustainable
when it is contributing to the well-being of its population, which is its main objective
without harming the environment. Every city reaches the condition of smart city when its
managers consider it as a system and make use of information technology in its planning
and control process, counting on the effective support of its population.
1. How to make Brazilian cities sustainable
Sustainable cities are those that have an economic and social development policy
compatible with the natural environment. To achieve the condition of sustainability, the
contemporary city must promote the social well-being of its population by providing
water supply and energy supply, industrial inputs and food in quantity and quality for its
population, ensuring adequate collection and final disposal and the recycling of domestic
and industrial solid waste, treating solid and liquid waste, carrying out basic sanitation
throughout the urban space, monitoring and adopting measures to mitigate air, soil and
water pollution, providing public urban transport modern and quality, maintaining the
entire urban space for the benefit of the population, offering quality public health and
education services to the entire population and promoting the conditions for generating
employment and income, as well as obtaining their own homes for the entire population.
By promoting the social well-being of its population, a sustainable city must also have
clear and comprehensive sanitation, garbage collection and treatment policies; water
management, with collection, treatment, economy and reuse; transport systems that favor
mass transport with quality and safety; actions that preserve and expand green areas and
the use of clean and renewable energies; and, above all, transparent public administration
shared with organized civil society. Sustainable cities must be guided by the planning and
control of land use, in order to avoid the degradation of natural resources. What
characterizes a sustainable city is also the right of the population to urban land, housing,
environmental sanitation, urban infrastructure, transportation and public services, work
and leisure, for current and future generations [1 ].
By pursuing the well-being of their populations, sustainable cities also need to
collaborate, in the contemporary era, with facing the problems of global warming, which
can lead to catastrophic climate change on a planetary scale, eliminating or reducing their
greenhouse gas emissions greenhouse in its activities and must be prepared to face
extreme events such as floods and rising sea levels. Sustainable cities need to have a
climate change adaptation plan, especially those subject to extreme events. Coastal cities,
for example, must plan against the foreseeable rise in sea levels and be concerned about
slope landslides, flooding, etc., resulting from inclement rainfall [2].
Arcadis, the Dutch consulting, engineering and management company that emerged in
Amsterdam in 1868, has launched the 2015 Sustainable Cities Index, which ranks the 50
most sustainable cities in the world. The index was calculated by the Center for
Economics and Business Research considering the social (people), environmental
(planet) and economic (profit) factors that make a sustainable city. In the top positions of
the ranking are well-developed European cities such as Frankfurt, followed by London,

2. 2
Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The cities of Seoul, Hong Kong and Singapore
also feature prominently, rounding out the Top 10 with Berlin and Madrid [3].
Exame magazine published the article The 100 most sustainable cities in the world in
2022 [4]. It was informed that, since 2015, Arcadis, a consultancy and sustainable design
and engineering solutions company, publishes an annual list of the most advanced cities
in sustainability in the world. For Arcadis, a city works based on sustainable development,
if it acts in such a way that its three pillars - Social, Economic and Environmental - coexist
and interact with each other fully. Sustainable Cities 2022 evaluated 100 cities in 47
countries, based on 26 indicators organized under the three pillars of sustainability,
Social, Economic and Environmental, described below:
• Social
The first pillar concerns the city's contribution to achieving the well-being of the
population and satisfying their needs.
• Economic
The second pillar concerns the city's contribution to creating conditions for it to be able
to consume, produce, distribute and offer its products or services in a way that meets the
needs of the population and the productive sector.
• Environmental
The third pillar concerns valuing natural resources, minimizing the environmental
damage that can be caused by productive activities as much as possible, in addition to
avoiding possible waste in day-to-day work. As practices of this pillar, we can mention
the use of renewable raw materials, the reuse of water and even the recycling and use of
waste.
The Norwegian capital, Oslo, leads the overall Sustainable Cities 2022 index. Stockholm
(Sweden), Tokyo (Japan), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Berlin (Germany) complete the
top five positions on the list of sustainable cities. Figure 1 presents the top 20 sustainable
cities in the world. The analysis of Figure 1 shows that, with the exception of Tokyo, the
top 20 is occupied only by European and North American cities, with emphasis on the
Scandinavian ones, which hold three places in the top five positions. The best placed
Brazilian city in the general evaluation is São Paulo, in 84th position.
About Oslo, the number 1 sustainable city in the world, with a population of around
650,000 inhabitants, it has historically always had a strong environmental concern and
has intensified these efforts in recent years. In the transport sector, for example, since the
1990s, the population has been encouraged to use electric vehicles. Today, Oslo is a world
leader in electric mobility and intends to reach 100% of electric cars in 2025. At the same
time, large investments are being made in public transport, cycling infrastructure and
waterways. Waste management is another strength in Oslo. In addition to a complete
selective collection service and a series of recycling programs, the municipality is the first
to test carbon capture and storage through waste incineration. Waste management is a
global challenge that currently generates huge greenhouse gas emissions because large
volumes of waste are deposited in landfills in the vast majority of cities. Recovering
energy contained in these wastes using carbon capture is part of the solution. It is
predicted that Oslo will become a carbon negative city from 2030 with the climate
strategy that establishes that the city will become practically without greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions by 2030, with a 95% reduction in emissions compared to 2009 and 52%

3. 3
less in 2023. The intention is to contribute to reducing the amount of GHG in the
atmosphere through biological means and industrial carbon capture and storage. A 10%
reduction in total energy consumption is still projected by 2030 compared to 2009. And
resilience is being built to withstand the impacts of climate change expected by 2100,
with adaptation measures such as green roofs and run-off spaces water to fight floods.
Figure 1- The 20 largest sustainable cities in the world
Source: https://exame.com/negocios/100-cidades-sustentaveis-mundo-2022/
In Brazil, the ranking of the most sustainable cities in the country was published in an
article by Marcia Sousa under the title Ranking of the most sustainable cities in Brazil,
published on the Archdaily website [5]. Cities were ranked by overall score, which
measures overall progress towards meeting all 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development
Goals). The score ranges from zero to 100, with 100 being the maximum limit and
indicating excellent performance in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. São
Caetano do Sul, in ABC Paulista, is at the top of the ranking of sustainable cities in the
country because, in a score from zero to 100, São Caetano reached 65.62, a value that is
enough to guarantee the first place. The unprecedented survey reveals that the city already
known for leading the HDI (Human Development Index) in Brazil is now the first among
the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities in relation to the UN SDG (Sustainable Development
Goals) practices, which are described below. [6]:
1. Poverty eradication - End poverty in all its forms, everywhere.
2. Zero Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture - End hunger, achieve food security and
improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

4. 4
3. Health and well-being - Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all
ages.
4. Quality education - Ensure inclusive, equitable, quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for all.
5. Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
6. Clean water and sanitation - Ensure availability and sustainable management of
water and sanitation for all.
7. Clean and Affordable Energy - Ensure access to cheap, reliable, sustainable and
renewable energy for all.
8. Decent work and economic growth - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
9. Innovation and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and
sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.
10. Reducing inequalities - Reduce inequalities within and between countries.
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities - Make cities and human settlements inclusive,
safe, resilient and sustainable.
12. Responsible consumption and production - Ensure sustainable production and
consumption patterns.
13. Action on Global Climate Change - Take urgent action to combat climate change
and its impacts.
14. Life in the water - Conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine
resources for sustainable development.
15. Life on Earth - Protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of Earth's
ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse Earth
degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
16. Peace, justice and effective institutions - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies
for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective,
accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
17. Partnerships and Means of Implementation - Strengthen the means of
implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
Data on the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities are in the first Performance Map of Brazilian
municipalities, which take into account the 17 sustainable development goals to be
achieved by 2030. In the top 10, all cities are part of the state of São Paulo. They are: São
Caetano do Sul, Jundiaí, Valinhos, Saltinho, Taguaí, Vinhedo, Cerquilho, Sertãozinho,
Limeira and Borá. São Caetano do Sul has been working to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals for a long time. The Government Plan of São Caetano do Sul was
guided by actions that prepare the city for the future, with the use of a lot of technical
management, high technology and governance, which guarantee the social and economic

5. 5
development of the municipality that already has the best Index of Human Development
(HDI) of Brazil and is on the way to further improve the quality of life of its residents.
Every smart city requires the use of information technology with the use of various
devices connected to the IoT (Internet of Things) network to rationally manage city
operations and services and connect with its citizens [7]. The Internet of Things (IoT)
refers to a technological revolution that aims to connect everyday used items to the world
wide web and is one of the main global trends its use in the administration of a city
because it is applicable in solutions ranging from monitoring public lighting, monitoring
pedestrians, cyclists, motor vehicles, public transport, education and health services,
among others. The applications of the Internet of Things are almost endless. In addition,
IoT will lead to a reduction in the waste of public resources in cities. Driven by the rise
of 5G Internet, IoT devices can bring benefits to people, businesses and the public sector.
But it is worth mentioning that, to be considered an IoT solution, the administration
system of a city needs to have three characteristics: 1) receive digital data originating
from sensors; 2) connect to an external network; and, 3) process information
automatically, that is, without human intervention [8].
Information technology allows city managers to interact directly with their executing
agencies and with the population and monitor what is happening in the city and how the
city is evolving in real time. Information technology should be used to improve the
quality, performance and interactivity of urban services, reduce costs and resource
consumption and increase contact between citizens and government. A smart city can be
better prepared to respond to the challenges faced by its managers and its population.
Every city will reach the condition of smart city when the goals of humanization of the
city are achieved with the improvement of the quality of life for the entire population, of
sustainable development of the city and of democratization of government decisions with
the participation of the entire population.
Among the world's smart cities, the following stand out: 1) Amsterdam, which has, since
2009, an interconnected platform through wireless devices to improve the city's decision-
making abilities in real time, reduce traffic, save energy and improve public safety; 2)
Copenhagen, which in 2014 won the prestigious World Smart Cities Award for its smart
city development strategy aimed at improving air quality, livability and traffic flow; 3)
Dubai, which has a project to make it a smart city in 2030, with initiatives in transport
that include driverless vehicles, digitalization of government, business and customer
transactions; and, 4) Stockholm, which aims to create a green IT framework to reduce
environmental impact, increase energy efficiency of buildings and traffic monitoring,
among other goals [1].
According to IESE Cities in Motion (ICIM), New York, Tokyo and London top the list
of smartest cities in the world [9]. The focus of IESE's research is on the traditional use
of technology, in which Tokyo excels. But in terms of sustainability, the Japanese capital
is not that smart, losing to big cities like London and Barcelona. The ranking made by
IMD-SUTD is considered more refined, since the universities of Switzerland and
Singapore analyze how technology improves the daily lives of citizens, also taking into
account social data and surveys of people's perception. According to this ranking,
Singapore is in first place, followed by Zurich and Oslo.

6. 6
In Brazil, according to the Connected Smart Cities 2021 ranking, by Urban Systems, the
cities of Curitiba, Florianópolis and São Paulo lead the list of smartest cities in the country
[10]. In this ranking, indicators of mobility, economy, education, health, environment,
urbanism, energy, technology and innovation, entrepreneurship and governance are
analyzed. In the area of Urbanism, for example, Curitiba was the highlight. As for
mobility and accessibility, São Paulo ranked first. In the technology and innovation
segment, Rio de Janeiro ranked first.
Connected Smart Cities Ranking 2022
1. Curitiba (PR)
2. Florianópolis (SC)
3. São Paulo (SP)
4. São Caetano do Sul (SP)
5. Campinas (SP)
6. Brasilia (DF)
7. Victory (ES)
8. Niteroi (RJ)
9. Salvador (BA)
10. Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
The municipality of São Caetano do Sul has made progress in relation to the drop in
maternal and child mortality, mortality from AIDS, incidence of dengue, application of
the municipal budget in Health, detection of hepatitis, among others. In São Caetano do
Sul, the average expenditure on public health is R$ 2,300 per inhabitant, almost double
the national average, which is R$ 1,300. Some Sustainable Development Goals such as
Renewable and Accessible Energy, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and
Protection of Marine Life were 100% achieved. The entire population of São Caetano do
Sul has access to electricity, treated water and selective garbage collection. 100% of
sewage is collected and treated. In addition, investments in quality education ensured the
seal of Municipality Free of Illiteracy and constant advances, with internet access in all
schools, continuous training of teachers and adequate infrastructure.
2. How to make Brazilian cities smart
Every city reaches the condition of smart city when its managers consider it as a system
and make use of information technology in its planning and control process, counting on
the effective support of its population. Curitiba's good position in the ranking did not
come as a surprise to city managers. The municipality is a pioneer in the adoption and
development of projects focused on sustainability, technology and entrepreneurship. It is
noteworthy, for example, that the city was the first in the world to test an intelligent light
fixture with integrated 5G antennas and initiatives for the dissemination of renewable
energies. However, the greatest symbol of development is Vale do Pinhão, a program
created by the city of Curitiba, through Agência Curitiba de Desenvolvimento S/A, which

7. 7
aims to strengthen the environment for innovation, entrepreneurship, creative economy
and technology in the city. This is a project aimed at universities, research centers,
startups and other social actors.
Currently, the Vale do Pinhão program is divided into five pillars: urbanization and
development, education and entrepreneurship, integration and articulation, tax incentives
and, finally, technology. From this conjuncture emerged initiatives such as the law of
innovation, the law of antennas, the law of economic freedom, the lighthouses of
knowledge project and the municipal council of technology and innovation. In his
perspective, however, the greatest lesson from Curitiba is the union of the public sector,
universities and governance to make decisions that affect the lives of the population.
3. Conclusions
What characterizes a sustainable and smart city? Being sustainable means that the city
guarantees the population's right to urban land, housing, environmental sanitation, urban
infrastructure, transportation and public services, work and leisure, for current and future
generations and the population's right to Decide on the fate of your city. Being a smart
city means using information technology to facilitate city management with the
collaboration of the population and counting on their participation in decision-making.
The future of cities and their populations depends, therefore, on what is done in the sense
of adopting a new management model with the use of information technology, promoting
the improvement of the quality of life for the entire population, promoting the sustainable
development of the city and promote the democratization of government decisions with
the participation of the entire population.
Sustainable cities are the key to achieving social well-being for their populations and
achieving climate goals for the entire planet that contribute to avoiding catastrophic
global climate change. Considering that more than half of the world's population lives in
cities and, by 2050, the projection is that this measure will rise to two thirds, in this
context, Arcadis points out in the Sustainable Cities Index 2022 that, at the same time that
cities contribute to feeding some of our biggest challenges, such as the climate crisis,
sustainable cities can also be the solution to avoid catastrophic global climate change. UN
Habitat estimates indicate that while cities represent only less than 2% of the Earth's
surface, they consume 78% of the world's energy and produce more than 60% of the
planet's greenhouse gas emissions. However, recalls the UN Habitat report, it is in cities
where people come together to find innovative solutions to humanity's problems and
where new paths for the future will be tested and improved. In turn, smart cities will make
sustainable cities leverage their actions in achieving the well-being of their populations
and in facing global climate change.
REFERENCES
1. ALCOFORADO, Fernando. Como construir cidades inteligentes e sustentáveis.
Available on the website <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/como-construir-cidades-
inteligentes-e-sustent%25C3%25A1veis-alcoforado/>.
2. ALCOFORADO, Fernando. Como preparar as cidades contra eventos climáticos
extremos. Available on the website

8. 8
<https://www.academia.edu/38323819/COMO_PREPARAR_AS_CIDADES_CONTR
A_EVENTOS_CLIM%C3%81TICOS_EXTREMOS_pdf>, 10/02/2019.
3. ARCADIS, As cidades mais sustentáveis do mundo. Available on the website
<http://www.cidadessustentaveis.org.br/noticias/cidades-mais-sustentaveis-do-
mundo>).
4. EXAME. As 100 cidades mais sustentáveis do mundo em 2022. Available on the
website <https://exame.com/negocios/100-cidades-sustentaveis-mundo-2022/>.
5. SOUSA, Marcia. Ranking das cidades mais sustentáveis do Brasil. Available on the
website <https://www.archdaily.com.br/br/986615/ranking-das-cidades-mais-
sustentaveis-do-brasil>.
6. PISCO DE LUZ. Objetivos de desenvolvimento sustentável. Available on the website
<https://www.piscodeluz.org/desenvolvimento-sustentavel?>.
7. WIKIPEDIA. Cidade inteligente. Available on the website
<https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cidade_inteligente>.
8. TECHTUDO. ‘Internet das Coisas’: entenda o conceito e o que muda com a
tecnologia. Available on the website
<https://www.techtudo.com.br/noticias/2014/08/internet-das-coisas-entenda-o-conceito-
e-o-que-muda-com-tecnologia.ghtml>, 2014.
9. HABILITY. Cidades inteligentes: o que e quem são? Available on the website
<https://habitability.com.br/cidades-inteligentes-o-que-e-quem-sao/?>.
10. ESTADÃO. As cidades mais inteligentes do Brasil. Available on the website
<https://imoveis.estadao.com.br/cidades-inteligentes/as-cidades-mais-inteligentes-do-
brasil/>.
* Fernando Alcoforado, awarded the medal of Engineering Merit of the CONFEA / CREA System, member
of the Bahia Academy of Education, of the SBPC- Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science and of
IPB- Polytechnic Institute of Bahia, engineer and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional Development
from the University of Barcelona, university professor (Engineering, Economy and Administration) and
consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning, urban planning and
energy systems, was Advisor to the Vice President of Engineering and Technology at LIGHT S.A. Electric
power distribution company from Rio de Janeiro, Strategic Planning Coordinator of CEPED- Bahia
Research and Development Center, Undersecretary of Energy of the State of Bahia, Secretary of Planning
of Salvador, is the author of the books Globalização (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC-
O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem Mundial (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil
(Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2000), Os condicionantes do desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Tese de
doutorado. Universidade de Barcelona,http://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globalização
e Desenvolvimento (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século
XX e Objetivos Estratégicos na Era Contemporânea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions
of the Economic and Social Development- The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller
Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária
(Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2010), Amazônia Sustentável- Para o
progresso do Brasil e combate ao aquecimento global (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo,
São Paulo, 2011), Os Fatores Condicionantes do Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (Editora CRV,
Curitiba, 2012), Energia no Mundo e no Brasil- Energia e Mudança Climática Catastrófica no Século XXI
(Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2015), As Grandes Revoluções Científicas, Econômicas e Sociais que Mudaram o
Mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2016), A Invenção de um novo Brasil (Editora CRV, Curitiba,
2017), Esquerda x Direita e a sua convergência (Associação Baiana de Imprensa, Salvador, 2018), Como

9. 9
inventar o futuro para mudar o mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2019), A humanidade ameaçada e as
estratégias para sua sobrevivência (Editora Dialética, São Paulo, 2021), A escalada da ciência e da
tecnologia e sua contribuição ao progresso e à sobrevivência da humanidade(Editora CRV, Curitiba,
2022), a chapter in the book Flood Handbook (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, United States, 2022) and
How to protect human beings from threats to their existence and avoid the extinction of humanity (Europe,
Republic of Moldova, Chișinău, 2023).