Conceived Versus Lived Social Spaces and the Transformation of the Morro da Providência Favela of Rio de Janeiro Since 2008

In anticipation of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro initiated several urban infrastructure projects including Porto Maravilha, Morar Carioca, and the Units of Police Pacification (UPP) program. Starting in 2008, one aspect of that effort involved bringing favelas , irregular and unplanned neighborhoods, under the control of centralized urban planning. However, rather than consult the residents to align infrastructure planning with the needs of the community, the planners imposed projects such as a cable car and a funicular tram. The authors use mental maps drawn by the residents of the Morro da Providência favela to uncover five main themes related to that process: public space, sanitation, access to food, transportation, and fear. The method reveals the residents’ perspectives on the disconnect between the conceived social space of urban planners and the lived social space of everyday life, and thereby, how the infrastructure projects failed the needs of the favela community.