Cars are considered indispensable in many parts of Brazil, and the country is near the top of the global ranking in traffic fatalities. However, Belo Horizonte in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais is carving a different path. The city of 2.7 million inhabitants has been investing in public transport for years.

In the wake of the pandemic, Belo Horizonte is also expanding its bicycle network to enable residents to cross the entire city from east to west quickly and safely by bike.  

The Santa Tereza neighborhood will also have access to the bike route, and a cycling zone is being created around a central square in the city. The project aims to increase road safety, reduce air pollution and improve the quality of life for urban residents. Many locals are getting involved and embracing the idea of swapping roads for more community spaces.

The traffic-reducing measures are part of the Eco-Zone project in Belo Horizonte, which will also focus on waste disposal and recycling. Ultimately the city wants to save 42 tons of CO2 per year in the future as a result of the project.  

Project Objective:  The Eco-Zone Santa Tereza (EcoZona Santa Tereza) project in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is part of the International Climate Initiative's (IKI) multicountry plan. It supports national and local governments in emerging economies to design and implement low-emission urban development.  

Project Funding:  TheIKI project has a total of about €3.5 million ($4.2 million) in funding from the German Environment Ministry for the project. The work in Belo Horizonte is budgeted at €33,000. The Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative is covering roughly a third of this and the rest is covered by the other project partners. 

Project partners:  Implementing partners of the Eco-Zone Santa Tereza in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, are the transport authority BHTrans and the NGO Nossa BH in cooperation with the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, UN-Habitat and the World Resources Institute Brazil. Political partners include the Brazilian Ministry of Environment, the Brazilian Ministry of Regional Development and the City of Belo Horizonte. 

Project duration: The IKI project will run from October 2017 to October 2021. The EcoZone Santa Tereza project will continue. Follow-up projects are also planned. 

A film by Bianca Kopsch