By Meghan Bartels / On September 19th, 2014

Interior of the Ópera de Arame, Curitiba. Photo by Herval Freire, used under Creative Commons licensing. Interior of the Ópera de Arame, Curitiba. Photo by Herval Freire, used under Creative Commons licensing.

When the same person is called "revolutionary" by The Guardian, "visionary" by The New York Times, and one of the most influential thinkers of 2010 by Time magazine, it's probably worth paying attention to what he or she has to say. Jaime Lerner, former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, and renowned architect and urbanist, has been inspiring city thinkers for decades. His unique approach, urban acupuncture, relies on 'pinpricks' that shape the broader life of a neighborhood. Improvements don't have to be slow or expensive, he shows, as long as they have heart and soul. Urban Acupuncture, hot off our presses, is his first book available in English. Enjoy the excerpt below and enter to win a copy of the book—a beautiful read to savor at your favorite city spot.
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cities
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urbanism
Daniel Pauly
Meghan Bartels

Publicity and marketing associate at Island Press; avid reader and tea drinker.