Favelas

Characteristics

How would you describe them?

 Characteristics of Favela´s
Favelas are places increasingly recognized by planners and architects for their:

● Low-rise, high density development

● Pedestrian orientation
● High use of bicycles & public transportation
● Mixed use (homes above shops)
● Residence close to workplace
● Organic architecture (architecture evolves according to need)
● New urbanism
● Collective action
● Intricate solidarity networks
● Vibrant cultural production
 Rapid Urbanisation
1. Define urbanisation
2. What two things make up urbanisation
3. What parts of the world are going to experience more
urbanisation in the future?
○ Why?
 Favela Facts
● 85% of housing worldwide is built illegally.
● In highly urbanised Latin America, one third of all
city dwellers live in informal conditions.
● In the city of Rio, close to 1.5 million people –
around 23-24% of the population – live in
favelas.
○ That’s comparable to the percentage living in affordable
housing (public, rent controlled, cooperatives,
community land trusts and other models) in major cities
worldwide.
● Rio has more favela residents than any other
Brazilian city and, all together, Rio’s favelas
would comprise the ninth largest city in the
country.
https://youtu.be/KFWYjgbPKIw
 Strategies - Self-help Schemes
Rocinha, Bairro Project
● Authorities in Rio de Janeiro have set up self-help
schemes to resolve some of the problems in favelas.
● This is when the local authority provide local residents
with the materials needs to construct permanent
accommodation.
○ This includes breeze blocks and cement.
● The local residents provide the labour.
● The money saved can be spent on providing basic
amenities such as electricity and water.
 Strategies - Self-help Schemes
Rocinha, Bairro Project
Today, almost all the houses in Rocinha are made of concrete and brick.
Some buildings are three and four stories tall and almost all houses have basic
sanitation, plumbing, and electricity.
Compared to simple shanty towns or slums, Rocinha has a better-developed
infrastructure and hundreds of businesses such as banks, drug stores, bus lines,
cable television, including locally based channel TV ROC, and, at one time, even a
McDonalds franchise, though it has since closed.
These factors help classify Rocinha as
a Favela Bairro, or Favela
Neighborhood.
Strategies - Self-help Schemes
Old wooden buildings
upgraded to brick
● Shops and
entertainment
added
● Small industries
added to increase
jobs
● Electricity, paved
roads and water
provided
Research

Rocinha - (largest favela in Brazil)

Location

Population

Characteristics (infrastructure)

Has the area been improved? How?

https://theintercept.com/2017/09/25/rocinha-favela-rio-de-janeiro-violence/
7 mark question
With reference to one case study describe the problems with the development
of slum (squatter settlements) and ways in which they are being improved.

Brazil - Favelas

Use Rio de Janeiro (state the number of favelas/people living in

these/characteristics/)

2 paragraphs on the problems

2 paragraphs on the improvements

Self help schemes etc are them main focus

Site and service schemes

LEDCs - Problems in urban areas

Housing (slums, a lack of affordable housing)

Air pollution (Delhi)

Water pollution

Congestion
Mega cities - map
1. Map the world’s megacities
2. Add the top 5 largest slums in the world to your map

-include the city (slum name and population)