Submission of a proposal for master plan for the area of the International Hub for Sustainable Development — HIDS —, in 2022, marked an important phase of the agreement signed between Unicamp, the City of Campinas and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Prepared by the Korean institute KRIHS (Korea Research Institute for Human Settlement), the proposal suggests the creation of two denser centralities, with mixed use (including housing, corporate areas, commerce and services) and predominantly residential areas (with 10% of commerce and services), with 15% of housing of social interest and with decreasing density as they approach the floodplain areas. The only exclusive areas for technological activities are those that already exist and the Argentine Farm area, which is more economically viable for this type of use.
The Planning and Urbanism Secretariat (Seplurb) of Campinas City Hall reformulated the land use and occupation proposal for the region, incorporating some elements of the KRIHS proposal, for example, mixed land use, and also suggestions formulated within the scope of the Specialization course at FECFAU (Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urbanism) at Unicamp, such as the creation of the Anhumas park. Seplurb also added a new expansion area to the north to HIDS, calling it the Innovation and Sustainable Development Hub (PIDS). Currently, the Bill of Law is the object of a participatory process which will collect suggestions from the community to improve the text before sending it to the City Council.
In the current phase of HIDS, the challenge is to consolidate Unicamp's role as a provider of new knowledge, technologies and innovations for sustainable development. “The occupation of the Argentine Farm with projects aligned with the 2030 Agenda has a strong potential to attract companies, startups, entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurship that join Unicamp in challenges such as sustainable food production or energy transition”, stated the rector of Unicamp, Antonio Jose de Almeida Meirelles. “More than that, HIDS reinforces Unicamp’s commitment to sustainability and helps us build the university we want for the future”, added the rector.
“We are at the beginning of the discussions that will result in a proposal to occupy the Argentine Farm and, in this process, it is essential to know the teaching, research and extension projects (already in progress or in the preparation phase) aligned with the 2030 Agenda, as well how to identify interests and demands of the Unicamp academic community in relation to the spaces to be occupied at Fazenda Argentina”, explained Mariano Laplane, coordinator of HIDS Unicamp implementation team.
For this consultation, which has a preliminary and prospective nature, a quiz, available on the HIDS website, to be responded to by the academic community. It has two objectives: to map projects — teaching, research and extension — related to 17 Sustainable Development Goals, of the 2030 Agenda, whether in progress or in the preparation phase, and identify demands and interests in developing projects in the Argentine Treasury area.
Sustainability as a principle
No master plan developed by KRIHS, the proposal is to introduce, in the HIDS region, a series of complementary activities necessary to create a fourth generation innovation ecosystem, in which, in addition to the government, universities, industry and society, the environment is also included. Therefore, for HIDS Unicamp to consolidate itself as a successful project, it is essential that it is exemplary in its interaction with the environment in all its components: air, land, water, energy, flora and fauna.
Sustainability management in relation to HIDS' environmental heritage is based on two distinct but complementary concepts: the sustainable use of resources and environmental integrity.
The first incorporates practices already established in recent years, which characterize the different aspects of the green economy, such as the more efficient and rational use of water resources, the search for clean energy with low carbon emissions in production processes, the management of waste etc. The second is reflected in the set of measures that induce development while preserving the environment's capacity to retain its natural communities, not only preventing their impoverishment, but creating conditions capable of promoting resilience and population growth of local biodiversity.
“Our commitment to the 2030 Agenda goes beyond a simple formal fulfillment of its objectives, but expresses the conviction that these objectives are relevant and necessary for the transformation of our relationships with people and the environment. Therefore, we want our business and institutional partners to also adopt this perspective in their projects and initiatives”, points out the text of the guiding principles from HIDS Unicamp.
“We highlight that this is a preliminary consultation, which aims to map projects aligned with the 17 UN SDGs and identify interests in having teaching, research and extension projects installed at HIDS Unicamp. This information will help in the preparation of an occupation plan for Fazenda Argentina that reflects, at the same time, Unicamp's vision of sustainability and the demands and interests of the university community”, highlighted Laplane.
Compatibility studies
In partnership with the Center for Studies on Urbanization for Knowledge and Innovation (Ceuci), a study of the proposal for master plan of KRIHS seeking to make the occupation of the Argentine Farm area compatible with ecological corridors, a project by the Unicamp Sustainability Coordination (CSus). Volumetric studies for the implementation of buildings were also initiated, according to the guidelines of the Campinas City Council Bill. The studies are being prepared by Ceuci researcher, architect Marcela Noronha. “According to the proposal of the Korean Institute, the occupation of the Farm must take place in three distinct phases”, explains Gabriela Celani, who coordinates Ceuci. “With these compatibility studies that we are carrying out, it is now possible to make more concrete predictions for the installation of buildings that will become research centers, laboratories, spaces for companies linked to innovation in partnership with Unicamp, etc., in this first phase of occupation”, concludes Celani.
