World Cup 2014 city guide: Curitiba

A Modern, well-organised and generally agreeable spot to spend a few days, Curitiba is often held up as a model for urban development in Brazil.

Unlike many Brazilian cities, Curitiba’s expansion has been controlled by a series of planning projects, and the public transport system, complete with futuristic tube-style bus platforms, works efficiently. So successful has Curitiba’s development been that Forbes magazine named it the world’s third ‘smartest city’ in 2009.

Locals boast that their park-dotted city has the best quality of life in Brazil, and while Curitiba may not be the country’s most thrilling place, it is certainly orderly — not always the case in Brazil’s sprawling urban areas. Aside from infrastructure and parks, Curitiba’s main point of interest is its cultural diversity. While the overseas influence in this relatively wealthy city is not as obvious as in somewhere such as Sao Paulo, Curitiba has received waves of immigration from Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Italy throughout its history, reflected today in the city’s architecture. The eye-shaped Oscar Niemeyer Museum, built by the famous architect himself, is worth a visit, as is the Botanical Garden.

Fans expecting lots of heat might be disappointed. Temperatures in June and July can dip below zero at night, and even during the day may not creep much above 10C during chilly spells.

The Arena da Baixada is one of this World Cup’s few club-owned stadiums, and its redevelopment was not always a smooth process. Despite owners Atletico-PR being one of Brazil’s better-run teams, work stalled on a frequent basis as the club, local government, banks and construction firms fought over who should pay for what.

As a result, Curitiba has come in for plenty of criticism in the build-up to the tournament and was even threatened with expulsion by FIFA as recently as January. “They’re not just late,” said FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, “they’re miles away from any of the schedules we’ve proposed.”