Minhocãozinho


Our proposal is a global lighthouse project (a) for the future of urban mobility in São Paulo because it will be a great benefit (b) for the suffering local neighborhood increasing the life quality for a human-scale community:

(a) The future of Urban Mobility in São Paulo

Individual car based mobility will change fundamentally in cities all around the world due to electric mobility and later autonomous driving. Sao Paulo - the city that suffers the most from conventional cars with air and noise pollution - has the chance to be the first in South America o install a test track for electric vehicles in a dense urban environment: As the first step, the Minhocãozinho could become a landscape of mobility and public functions that serves as a reduced-speed but exclusive connection for electric vehicles between East and West during working hours. This is an incentive for these commuters to switch to electric vehicles, spearheading the transformation into a human, sustainable and non-polluting urban mobility in the entire city!

The Minhocãozinho could also be opened for a shared electric car fleet as a service for the local community. In any case, the local community will benefit enormously from electric mobility because of the prevention of any air pollution and the drastic reduction of noise pollution. Furthermore the Minhocãozinho could even serve as a test track for autonomous driving in the long term future perspective!
(b) The life quality in a human-scale community

In addition to the prevention of any air pollution and the drastic reduction of noise pollution, we propose to dedicate at least 50% of the space (two lanes) to the people of the local community and all Paulistas. The original layout with four lanes can be reconfigured flexible to the local needs along the Minhocãozinho in order to offer “Pockets” of Parks, Recreation, Sports or Food and Beverage facilities. Where it is preferred, the two outer lanes can be removed locally to allow more sun and air on the ground floor. Here is a good moment to introduce short connections for pedestrians between both levels. The two lanes dedicated to any kind of electric mobility will be obviously closed during night and weekends and can be used for running, skating or biking.


Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Type: Proposal
Year: 2015