In this paper, Gustavo Rivera Jr. (Ph. D. candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago) evaluates the economic and sociocultural impact of recently developed public housing estates within the favelas of Belo Horizonte.
Based on fourteen months of ethnographic fieldwork in the Senhor dos Passos favela in Belo Horizonte, this paper explores how public housing transforms the meaning of living in favela spaces. In particular, it questions the ways public housing reconfigures residents' sense of belonging, social relations, and subjectivities.
Read the full story: Favelas, Public Housing and the Reconfiguration of Urban Space in Brazilian Slums
What Housing Organizers in the U.S. Can Learn from Berlin's Re-Socialization Campaign
More than half of Berlin voters approved a non-binding referendum to resocialize a quarter-million apartments. What can housing organizers in the U.S. learn?
The Pandemic's New Epicenter
On May 22, the World Health Organization declared Latin America the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil is second in the world in reported cases after the U.S., and Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Mexico are also suffering disproportionately.
Rio's Pricey Sky Gondola Goes Full Stop
The sky gondola system built prior to the Rio Olympics has ground to a halt, leaving residents of the city's favelas with little to show for such a grand investment in infrastructure.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Housing is the top priority of Seattle’s sole new councilmember
Jenks campaigned on building 1,000 new units of affordable housing.
New tax cuts may slash $1.5 billion in funding for Miami transit, public parks
Amendment 3 will save Miami-Dade homeowners $2,700 in 2028.
Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania hope to finally advance climate goals post-midterms
The three states have spent years under Republican or divided control.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority