Developing a Workshop on Formal and Informal Sector Interaction in Urban Development for Rio de Janeiro

The state government of Rio de Janeiro recently sponsored a National Public Competition in an effort to generate ideas for an Urbanization Project Plan for the community of Rocinha, one of Rio’s largest informally constructed neighborhoods, known as favelas. The objective of the competition was to propose a development plan that best meets the needs of the community and improves quality of life for the residents of Rocinha. As part of its work for this competition, Planejamento Arquitetônico e Ambiental (PAA) asked the Capstone team to develop a community workshop on formal and informal sector interaction in urban development strategies for the city of Rio de Janeiro, with a particular emphasis on Rocinha. The project takes a community-focused approach to development with the goal of making urban development projects more inclusive. In order to develop the workshop, the Capstone team traveled to Rio de Janeiro to meet with key community stakeholders, conduct interviews, and do field research.