As the seat of the Curitiba City Council, the IPPUC is also an important venue for citizen participation in city affairs. The institute’s research and planning activities are behind every innovation in urban management in Curitiba, including the bus-based rapid transport system, the first municipal public health system in Brazil, the public parks-based flood control system, the community-based waste management system and the effective use of a pay-for-FAR (floor area ratio) mechanism of value capture from the land markets (solo criado). The IPPUC prepares plans and projects, raises and manages resources for their implementation, co-ordinates investments in infrastructure, and researches and disseminates good practices.