To make our city more enjoyable to live in, we can often learn from practices of other countries. Before we move our office from Buenos Aires to the United States, our American team based in Argentina would like to share some of their thoughts:

“After living in Buenos Aires for almost four years, I have really come to appreciate the sustainable life that Buenos Aires offers. From the streets being filled with trees, to free access to bikes for the day, I can really feel first hand all the eco-friendly ways that you can part-in Buenos Aires. One aspect that really stands out is the exchange of glass when you purchase a new beer. It’s a requirement to have an old bottle in order to purchase a new one, if you do not bring one, you pay up to 4 pesos (97¢) more for not having returned the old one. I think it’s so amazing how these little rules can make a big difference in a city.”

“I love the fact that there is so much public transportation in Buenos Aires. The bus system, though a little hard to understand at first, is extraordinarily expansive, with 144 bus lines covering every part of the city. To add to its appeal, colectivos (buses in Buenos Aires) are very accessible and very cheap to ride, so they become a very popular mode of getting around. The subway system here is also extremely popular, with roughly 250 million people using this mode of public transportation annually. Both the bus and subway systems are not only a cheap ways of moving about the city, but they are also fantastic ways of getting to know the city.”

“Porteños (people who live in Buenos Aires) embellish their apartment balconies with small gardens and green sunblinds (cf. photo). This especially can be seen in the residential Palermo and Belgrano districts of Buenos Aires. Although the streets of the city are pretty busy during workdays, I have a zen-like feeling while walking through the Belgrano district and I arrive at work with no stress.”

“One sustainable practice in particular that I have really appreciated is the amount of green space in Buenos Aires. Normally in such a large, populous city I wouldn’t expect so many parks and plazas, but they are actually everywhere. I have lived in three different places in Buenos Aires, and all three have had a park within five blocks. This is great for a couple reasons. First of all, green spaces provide free areas for people to come to relax, play, and exercise – activities that are eco-friendly and healthy. And, because so there are so many green spaces in Buenos Aires, most people can simply walk to them, leaving out any necessity to spend money or energy on transportation.”

If you are currently are experiencing some great practices we could learn from in the United States or elsewhere, please share with us!

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