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The Context
Ahmedabad is the largest city in Gujarat state in the western part of India. Formerly known as Manchester of India for its textile industry, the city has become a major information technology center and is the fastest growing city of India, and the third fastest growing city worldwide.
The Context
León is a city of 1.3 million residents in the central state of Guanajuato in Mexico. The 430-year-old city is renowned for its leather products and has been nicknamed the "Shoe Capital of the World."
The Context
Belo Horizonte is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais and the third largest metropolitan area in the country. "Beagá," as the city is locally known from the Portuguese pronunciation of its initials "BH," is built on the rolling hills of the state's central region and is home to 5.5 million residents.
The Context
Adapazarı is the capital city of Sakarya Province on Turkey’s coast with the Black Sea. As one of the major metropolitan areas of Turkey, the city has grown continuously since the mid-1950s. Tragedy struck the entire region in 1999 when a strong earthquake rocked the city and delivered substantial damage.
The Context
The Mediterranean port city of Antalya is located in southwestern Turkey on the Gulf of Antalya in the province of the same name. Founded around 150 BC, the ancient city is Turkey’s fourth largest and has experienced large growth in the tourism sector since the 1970s, attracting 30% of foreign tourists visiting Turkey today.
The Context
İzmit is a coastal city in the province of Kocaeli. The former Roman Empire capital city is located about 100 kilometers east of Istanbul on the Gulf of İzmit. Due to its location, the city operates several ports and lies on the Trans European Motorway, which connects Europe to Asia.
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The Context
Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan state in northwest India. The Pink City, as it known today, has the distinction of being the first planned city in India.
The Context
Recife is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Brazil, with more than 3.7 million residents, of whom 1.5 million live within city limits. The city’s international airport and two seaports make it a major hub for transport both across Brazil and internationally.
The Context
Delhi is the second-largest metropolis in India. With over 17.3 million residents, it is the eighth largest metropolis in the world.
Buses are the most popular means of transport in the city, serving about 60% of the total demand. As of 2007, the Delhi Metro consists of three lines with a total length of 65 kilometers and 59 stations. Construction ongoing through 2020 will create a network longer than that of the London Underground.
Despite public transportation, motorization in Delhi is increasing at an alarming rate. The number of motor vehicles has increased from 540,000 in 1981 to 5.1 million by 2000. Delhi has more motor vehicles than Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai combined. The result is extreme congestion on Delhi roads, an increase in road accidents, fuel wastage, and environmental pollution. Motorized vehicles alone contribute to about two-thirds of atmospheric pollution.
The Context
It's easy to think of Washington, D.C. as the monumental core of the United States government. But it's important to remember that the city is also home to nearly 600,000 ordinary citizens living and working at the center of a metropolitan region with 5.4 million people.
Together, this diverse population experiences some of the very best and worst in American transportation. On one hand, extensive suburban sprawl has made residents in "the District" victim to the second-longest average commute in the country and some of the worst air pollution on the East Coast.
On the other hand, the city has one of the best mass transit systems in the world. Metrorail is the second busiest rail transit system in the United States, serving more than 720,000 passengers on average per weekday in 2008, and Metrobus is the nation's sixth most-used bus system. Washington continues to add new heavy and light rail lines, and city officials are exploring bus rapid transit, streetcars and bike sharing as alternative transport options.
