An event held at PUC-Campinas brought together on the morning of the 22nd the mayor of Campinas, Dario Saadi, four municipal secretaries of the city – of Economic Development, Planning and Urbanism, Environment and Finance –, the rectors of PUC-Campinas and from Unicamp, Germano Rigacci and Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, respectively, and also representatives from Embrapa, CNPEM, Instituto Eldorado, Sanasa, CPQD, Cargill and Cariba Empreendimentos. The reason: validation of the master plan and the implementation strategy of the International Hub for Sustainable Development (HIDS).
The proposal was presented by Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS), responsible for preparing the urban occupation design for the territory which, in addition to Unicamp, includes the entire area of the Technological Development Hub (Ciatec 2). “This is one of the most important projects of our administration, if not the most important”, highlighted the Mayor of Campinas, Dario Saadi. “The challenge now is to incorporate the proposal developed by the Koreans into the project being prepared by our management,” he said. Present at the event, the Secretary of Economic Development, Technology and Innovation, Adriana Flosi, reinforced the importance of integration between universities and City Hall. “HIDS is a long-term project, whose success will further consolidate Campinas’ innovation ecosystem, with the potential to be a model for the world”, she pointed out. “It is very important that we have this integration between public authorities and universities”, she added.
The proposal prepared by KRIHS includes physical and spatial designs that should contribute to innovation, entrepreneurship and the expansion of knowledge-based industries in Campinas. It also provides guidelines for the distribution of land use, mobility, networks, green corridors and activities to be developed in the central area of the territory. The Korean Institute will also suggest an implementation strategy for the creation of the Hub, based on a phased development plan, an investment plan and the role to be played by each of the interested parties.
The participation of the Korean institute in the preparation of the master plan of HIDS is the result of a agreement established in 2020 between Unicamp, the City of Campinas and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The studies that supported the proposal, however, began earlier, with the participation of professors and researchers from PUC-Campinas, Unicamp and Facamp and the technical staff of Campinas City Hall and members of the Founding Advisory Board of HIDS, chaired by the rector of Unicamp. “We consider this project to be of fundamental importance for our University and for Campinas. It represents a great opportunity to deepen the city's innovation and technology ecosystem and unite different actors, including companies, in this effort towards more sustainable development”, said Meirelles. ANDHe also mentioned the possibility of adding the Metropolitan Hospital and a photovoltaic plant associated with the production of green hydrogen, using renewable energy at Fazenda Argentina.
The rector of PUC-Campinas, the institution hosting the event, highlighted the importance of this contribution from KRIHS to define the next steps of the project, consolidate the Hub and reinforce PUC's commitment to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “PUC got involved in the project right from the beginning. The fact that we are here today means a historic moment for the consolidation of HIDS. We are taking stock of the past and establishing a starting point for the future”, stated the rector of PUC-Campinas.
In the proposed urban design, it is expected to increase building area and residential densities to support investment in public transport corridors, promote mixed-use development and activities, preserve and open up natural spaces, and develop a sustainable urban transport strategy based on non-motorized alternatives, such as bicycles. Among the proposed innovations is to reinforce the role of the street as a multifunctional urban space capable of accommodating a series of activities and uses. According to Se Hoon Park, who leads the KRIHS team, natural areas should be connected with urbanization axes, prioritizing the conservation of ecological corridors, which could be complemented by additional structures. “Green areas should be uniformly positioned in neighborhood zones to create a pleasant urban environment and provide high-quality resting places,” he explained.
For the Secretary of Planning and Urbanism of Campinas, Carolina Baracat, the contribution of KRIHS will be fundamental to complement the project to review the Land Occupation Law for the Ciatec area. “We have been working together with the teams from Unicamp and PUC-Campinas, which has allowed us to add important concepts of sustainable urbanism to the project we are developing. The KRIHS proposal also goes in this direction, to establish a living laboratory capable of attracting companies and enhancing the development of solutions in various areas,” she said.
Throughout the workshop, which takes place at Espaço Mescla at PUC-Campinas until the 23rd, the actors involved must communicate their impressions and send suggestions about the proposal prepared by KRIHS. On Wednesday, 24th, based on the information collected throughout the event, the Korean Institute, with support from the technical teams involved in the project, will propose a strategy for implementing HIDS. The IDB's urban development and housing specialist, Mauricio Bouskela, reaffirmed the IDB's interest in supporting the consolidation of the Hub. “The discussions and participation of the various actors show that everyone wants the project to actually happen,” said the IDB specialist. For him, it is essential to establish some principles that guide the consolidation of HIDS and create a strategic plan to get ideas off the ground.
