Which of the following cities is often referred to as a model sustainable city…

Concept

A model sustainable city is one widely cited for integrating urban growth with resource efficiency, accessible mobility, green space, and social well-being.

The label usually reflects a sustained planning approach across several systems, not merely a single environmental project.

Application

Curitiba, Brazil, is widely used as an urban-sustainability case study because it coordinated land use with a pioneering bus rapid transit network and complemented mobility planning with parks, flood management, and recycling initiatives.

Contrast

• Mexico City: It has major transit and air-quality programs, but modern urban studies more often use it to discuss the sustainability pressures of a very large megacity.

• Mumbai: Its rail-based mobility and compact form are important, while discussions commonly emphasize density, housing, infrastructure, and coastal-resilience challenges.

• Shanghai: Its metro and green-development programs are significant, while studies commonly frame it as a rapidly transformed global megacity.

Cross-check and result

The distinctive combination of integrated land-use planning and internationally influential bus rapid transit identifies Curitiba as the standard answer among the offered cities.