A new trend appearing in the slums of Brazil is a high number of foreign tourists and expatriates who visit or even move into the impoverished areas. Meanwhile, Brazil's middle and upper classes keep their distance from the dangerous slums.
"To many Brazilians, favelas are dirty, violent, frightening places. But to many foreigners, they are exciting, interesting, and romantic. More and more outsiders are coming from overseas to live, work, and just visit favelas, observers say. In doing so they are highlighting the difference between Brazilians who regard favelas with fear, rejection, and even disgust, and foreigners who embrace them as vibrant crucibles of modern Brazilian culture."
"Although about 1-in-5 residents of Rio live in favelas, the communities hold little interest, and a great deal of fear, for the elite and middle class."
"Much of the daily bloodshed that has made Brazil the second most violent country in the world, according to UNESCO, takes place in the favelas. With basic amenities like sanitation, running water, roads, lighting, and policing often absent, few dare venture in."
FULL STORY: The pulse of Rio de Janeiro's slums luring foreign guests
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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