Urban Planning of Urban Poor Case Study — Favelas in Rio

Question 1

Favelas

Answer 1

Illegal squatter settlements where people have built homes on unwanted land out of salvage material

Question 2

Location of Favelas

Answer 2

Rural-urban fringe;
Waste ground near city center;
Steep valley sides;
Marshland
WHY? Nobody else lives or builds there because it is far away from jobs in the center of the city OR because it is hard to build there due to the geology of the land

Question 3

Rocinha

Answer 3

Largest favela;
Population: 75 000;
Built on steep valley side (overlooks Copacabana and Ipanema);
95% houses built w/brick and have access to water, electricity, sewage system;
Has its own newspaper and radio station;
Retail facilities (clothing stores, McDonald’s, bars, travel agency, video rental stores);
Has private university, schools, health services

Question 4

Challenges of Squatter Settlements: Infrastructure

Answer 4

Made from salvage material (bricks, wood, plastic);
Not stable;
Built of steep valley side —> at risk from landslides during heavy rainfall;
Limited road access due to steep slopes

Question 5

Challenges of Squatter Settlements: Services

Answer 5

In non-improved favelas (homes): 12% no water, 30% no electricity, 50% no sewage connections;
Many homes tap into water and electricity illegally —> dangerous;
Sewers often open drains

Question 6

Challenges of Squatter Settlements: Unemployment

Answer 6

20%;
Much employment is poorly paid;
Irregular jobs in informal sector

Question 7

Challenges of Squatter Settlements: Crime

Answer 7

Murder rate of 20 per 1000;
Drug gangs dominate many favelas;
Inhabitants distrust police because of corruption and violence

Question 8

Challenges of Squatter Settlements: Health

Answer 8

High population density —> makes spread of disease easier;
Infant mortality rates of 50 per 1000;
Waste not disposed and builds up in streets —> disease;
Burning waste may set fire to wooden houses + gases are toxic

Question 9

Rocinha: Self-Help Scheme

Answer 9

+ Gives people tools and training to improve homes;
+ Residents given legal ownership of land they live on (government can’t push them off);
+ Local authority provides residents with materials to construct;
+ Residents’ labor provides money for basic amenities (water, electricity);
+ Schools, health clinics, recreational areas provided;
+ Bus links and businesses (banks, drug stores, cable television);
+ Own TV channel: TV ROC

Question 10

Complexo de Alemao: Site and Service Scheme

Answer 10

+ Local authority provides land and services (water, sewage, electricity) —> 200,000 meters of sewage lines, 30 neighborhood health programs;
+ Locals can buy homes and mortgages available;
+ Hillsides secured to prevent landslides;
+ Cable car built connected to Ipanema —> easy access to jobs in commercial center;
- Budget doesn’t cover every favela;
- Newly built infrastructure not being maintained;
- Residents lack skills to repair;
- More training to improve literacy and employment;
- Rents rise putting poorest residents in worse conditions;
- Small impact on school attendance;
- Garbage collection not massively improved

Question 11

Campo Grande: Rehousing Scheme

Answer 11

+ Compensation cheque of $5,000;
+ 800 houses built;
+ Better quality housing;
+ Develops middle class;
- Homes demolished for construction of new highway for 2016 Olympics;
- Lack of community spirit;
- No shops —> no income, unable to buy basic necessities, higher unemployment rate;
- Nowhere for children to play —> greater crime ;
- Poor health services —> no hospitals if elderly get sick;
- Authorities take too long to deal with complaints (leaking sewage outside people’s homes);
- Hour and half drive away from city center —> unemployment rates increase, cannot reach services