Rio de Janeiro- urban issues

• Birro project Aims:

  Work with the local community

  Preserve local culture

  Environmentally sustainable

  Cost effective

  Weather resistant
• Stage 1:

  Consultation

  Protection for the public

  Stage 2:

  Research

  To be able to help the community sufficiently

  Stage 3:

  Funding

  Providing for the public

  Stop conflict

  Land rights

  Stage 4:

  To inform the community
• Project cost

  $1 billion (still didn't help all people)
• Project focus-Improving infrastructure

  Services such as electricity, water and sanitation

  Cable car built from the favellas to the city (with a free return ticket each day)
• Project focus-Improving the environment

  Hillsides were secured to stop landslides

  Local authority provided residents with materials for a 'self-help' scheme to construct their own housing

  People were given addresses and legal ownership of land

  Streets were winded and pavements laid
• Project focus-Improving social facilities

  A pacifying police unit (UPP) was setup to reduce crime in the community
• Opportunities in Rio
• Positives:

  Small but significant impact on improved school attendance

  Housing incomes increase by 15%

  Today, almost all the houses in Rocinha are made from concrete and brick

  Most have basic sanitation, plumbing and electricity
• Negatives:

  $1 billion budget didn't cover all favellas

  New infrastructure not being maintained

  Rise in rent improved favellas meaning poorest worse off
• Importance:

  (Nationally) Brazils 2nd most important industrial centre (5% GDP) and there's 3 ports/2 airports

  (Regionally) Attracts migrants from all over south America

  (Internationally) One of the most worlds visited cities, and hosted the 2014 world cup/2016 Olympics
• Social opportunities:

  Access to university

  Schools for tomorrow program

  Project favellas

  Family health strategy

  Improve water and electrical supply
• Economic opportunities:

  More economic growth in city

  Oil discovered off coast

  Construction

  Retail

  Tourism

  Manufacturing

  Informal employment
• Social challenges

  Healthcare- in 2013, 55% had local family clinics

  Education - only 1/2 continued beyond 14 years / shortage in teachers / they got low pay / poor teacher training

  Water - 12% had no running water

  Energy - frequent blackout / illegal tapping
• Economic challenges:

  Inequality - richest 1% earn 12% income

  Unemployment - 20% in favellas

  Informal economy - poorly paid/ irregular/ no insurance

  Crime - drug use / gangs / murders / kidnaps / 2013 UPP set up
• Environmental challenges:

  Air - 5000 deaths per year from brown smog

  Traffic congestion - steep mountains / tunnels/ 40% growth in cars in the past 10 years

  Water - fishing 90% decline  In the past 20 years / 200 tonnes of raw sewage per day/ oil spills