Suburban Sprawl Takes Hold In Brazil's Mega-cities

The "emptying" -- or thinning -- of Rio, which now is home to six million people, is due to a series of factors, beginning with the expansion of vehicles and a 1942 law that promoted the home ownership, whereas rental housing had previously predominated...

The possibility of traveling "to any distant place" in a vehicle with its four tires made moving to the periphery viable, as families and developers sought cheaper land to build homes. That "option for the paved city model" and the impoverishment of the population are the two leading factors behind urban spread..."