Revision notes for URBAN CHALLENGES case studies

A case study of a major city in an LIC or NEE

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Location

Importance of the city regionally Importance of the city nationally Importance of the city
internationally

Causes of growth: natural increase and migration

How urban growth has created opportunities social How urban growth has created opportunities economic
opportunities (access to services – health and education; opportunities
access to resources – water supply, energy)

How has urban growth created challenges

 managing urban growth – slums, squatter settlements
• providing clean water, sanitation systems and energy
• providing access to services – health and education
• reducing unemployment and crime
• managing environmental issues – waste disposal, air and water pollution, traffic congestion.

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An example of how urban planning is improving the quality of life for the urban poor.

Project Favela Bairro

Background info
 Type of project: In situ slum upgrading
 Start and finish dates: 1994-2006
 Aim: To ‘urbanise’ the favelas and provide them with the services and infrastructure that formal areas of the cities had
so they would be seen as a regular neighbourhoods (bairros) of the city
 Funded by: Inter-American Development Bank and the local government
 Implemented by: Housing Department, and also involved other governmental departments, non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), the private sector and grass root leaders.

What happened
-Favela residents given legal right to live on their land.
-Upgrading projects included improvements to the existing infrastructure up to a satisfactory standard. Typical upgrading
projects provided footpaths and pit latrines, street lighting, drainage and roads, and often water supply and limited sewerage.
-Usually, upgrading did not involve home construction, since residents are expected to be able to do that themselves. In this
way, in situ slum upgrading acknowledges people’s capacity to manage their own shelter/home and that, given some kind of
security of legal ownership of the land, households tend to invest their savings, however small, in housing development.
-The programme produced positive results in the 178 settlements where it was implemented: physical conditions were
improved and having favelas as the object of public investments gave dwellers a sense of secure ownership of the land and their
house.
-For example in the favela of Complexo de Alemao in the north of Rio improvements were made for the 26 000 inhabitants.
o Paved and formally named roads
o Access to water supply and drainage systems for improved sanitation
o Hillsides secured (reinforced) to prevent landslides
o Building of new health, leisure and educational facilities
o Installation of a cable car to the commercial centre of Ipanema and inhabitants given one free return ticket a
day (greatly reducing the time it takes to travel to the centre)
o 100% mortgages available for people to buy their home
o A Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) set up, with police patrolling the community to help reduce crime

Positives
Considered a ‘best practice’ slum upgrading project. Quality of
life, mobility and employment prospects of the inhabitants of
the favelas have been improved
Criticisms
 The budget not covering all favelas
 Newly built structures not being maintained
 Residents lack the skills and resources to make repairs
 Rents rise in the improved favelas and the poorest
inhabitants are even worse
 Violence continues in favelas

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A case study of a major city in the UK
London
Location:

Importance in UK Importance in wider world

Impacts of national and international migration on the growth and character of the city

Opportunities created by urban change

Cultural mix-

Recreation and entertainment-

Employment-

Integrated transport-

Urban greening-

Challenges created by urban change

Social and economic (urban Environmental (dereliction, building Impact of urban sprawl and
deprivation, inequalities in housing, on brownfield and greenfield sites, commuter settlements
education, health and employment) waste disposal)

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An example of an urban regeneration project
Olympic Park, Stratford, East London
Why was it needed

Main features

What were its successes and challenges?

Sustainable urban planning

Sustainable water and energy use and waste management – BEDZed

Road management

Public transport

Environmentally friendly transport

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