Human Environment - Developing (Urban)

Question 1

• What are 11 problems in Rio De Janeiro’s favelas?
  (B-P-H-S)

Answer 1

1.) BUILDINGS:
* Made from scrap materials
➞ (e.g. corrugated iron)
↳ so unsightly 🔥👀

• Built on poor quality land
  ➞ so prone to mud slide/flooding 🌊
• Many built without legal permission
  ➞ so face risk of demolition 🏗️

2.) PUBLIC FACILITIES:
* Lack of basic facilities
➞ (e.g. schools & water) 🏫💦

• Lack of public utilities
  ➞ such as sewerage or power 💡
  ↳ leads to illegal electricity (gatos)
  ➜ causing fires & electrocutions 🔥⚡
• Overcrowding & lack of official rubbish collection
  ➞ leads to high levels of waste 🚮

3.) HEALTH:
* High levels of disease
➞ so poor health occurs 🤢

4.) SOCIAL FACTORS:
* High unemployment 📈

• Irregular & informal jobs
  ➞ so earn less than the minimum wage 💵
• Extreme overcrowding
  ➞ leading to lack of privacy and high levels of waste 👀🚮
• Cartel activity
  ➞ so high levels of violence/crime 🚨

Question 2

• What are the MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES for favelas in Rio?

Answer 2

1. 🟢 POINT
   * Clearance of favelas for the 2016 Olympics
   ↳ and relocation of residents to new houses on the edge of the city.

🟠EXPLAIN:
* Land could be redeveloped for other uses 🏗️
➜ (e.g. Olympic Park)

🟣EVALUATION:
* Communities split up 🏚️
* People relocated far from place of work 👷
* Not enough new housing
↳ (homeless) 🪰
* Residents move to another location & start a new favela 🌆

🔵EXAMPLE:
➞ (e.g. Vila Autódromo)

____________________________________________________________________________

2. 🟢POINT:
   * Self help
   ↳ residents undertake improvements with government supplying basic materials 🛠️

🟠EXPLAIN:
* Cheaper for government as they only supplies basic materials 🧱
↳ locals provide the labour skills ⚒️
* Brings communities together 💛
* Gives residents sense of ownership
* Living conditions are improved ⬆️
↳ (e.g. new floor added = less over-crowding + electricity connected)

🟣EVALUATION:
* Many houses are built on un-safe land
↳ (e.g. risk of land slides) 🏔️

🔵EXAMPLE:
➞ (e.g. Favela Bairro Project)

____________________________________________________________________________

3. 🟢POINT
   * Site & service schemes are brick houses 🏠
   ➜ built by government after favela housing is cleared

🟠EXPLAIN:
* Site has basic infrastructure
↳ (e.g. pipes for water & sanitation which reduced disease 💦)
* Residents are given the right to buy after renting 💵
* Streets are widened/paved ⬅️➡️
* Allows access for emergency vehicles & rubbish collection 🚑

🟣EVALUATION:
* Low paying jobs
↳ means many can’t afford rent 💸
* Only 60/600 favelas targeted 🎯
↳ due to lack of funds

🔵EXAMPLE:
➞ (e.g. My House, My Life)

____________________________________________________________________________

4. 🟢POINT:
   * Pacification military police units (sent in to force out the criminal element of favelas) 🪖

🟠EXPLAIN:
* Safe for residents
↳ as crime rate is lowered 📉

🟣EVALUATION:
* Poor reputation with residents
↳ as police have been accused of corruption 🚨⛔
* Police have been accused of violent behaviour
↳ caused civilian casualties💥🤕

🔵EXAMPLE:
➞ (e.g. BOPE)

____________________________________________________________________________

5. 🟢POINT:
   * Right to buy land and make house legal 🏠

🟠EXPLAIN
* People are more willing to invest in improvements
↳ if their home isn’t under threat of demolition 🏗️

🟣EVALUATION:
* Not everyone can afford this 💸

____________________________________________________________________________

6. 🟢POINT:
   * Small loans 💳

🟠EXPLAIN
* Used to invest in home repairs/improvements 🏠
* Once first loan is paid off
↳ people are free to borrow more for next piece of work 💳➡️

🟣EVALUATION:
* Not everyone can keep up with repayments
↳ lead to debt 📈

____________________________________________________________________________

7. 🟢POINT:
   * Building walls around favelas 🧱

🟠EXPLAIN:
* Places a limit of further favela expansion 🏘️
* Screens unsightly homes 🔥👀

🟣EVALUATION:
* 600 homes destroyed during process
↳ resulting in homelessness 🚫🏠

🔵EXAMPLE:
➞ (e.g. Dona Marta)

Question 3

• What are the TRAFFIC PROBLEMS in Rio De Janeiro?

Answer 3

1. Vehicles exhausts 🚗💨
   ➡ cause severe noise and air pollution 🌫️
2. 40% increase in car ownership 🚗
   ➡ has caused an increase in congestion levels 💥
3. During rush hours
   ➡ journey times increase by 50% 📈
4. Low capacity public transport 🚌
   ➡ so use of private vehicles 🚗
5. Bridging points (bay crossings) 🌉
   ➡ create bottle necks
   ↳ (e.g. Rio-Niteroi Bridge)
6. Coastlines and mountains surround the city 🏔️
   ➡ so few opportunities to “by-pass” city centres
7. Route centre 🛣️
   ➡ where main roads meet
8. Few roads and poor road planning
   ➡ create bottle necks 🍾

Question 4

• What are the TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS for Rio De Janeiro?

Answer 4

1.) 🟢POINT:
* BRIDGE to connect Rio with Niteroi 🌉
➡ on the other side of the bay

🟠EXPLAIN:
* 14km long 🛣️
➡ shortening journey times and saves a 2 hour journey ⌚
* Reduces pressure on other roads into the city 🍃
* Raises money for local government (toll road) 💵
➡ that could be reinvested in education/healthcare

🟣EVALUATE:
➡ However:
* Not everyone can afford tolls 💸
* 140,000 vehicles per day 🚦
➡ higher than designed for due to increased car ownership
* Creates bottle neck at bridging point during rush hour 🍾
➡ adding to congestion

🔵EXAMPLE:
➡ (e.g. Rio-Niteroi Bridge)

____________________________________________________________________________

2.) 🟢POINT:
* CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAY - a toll road 🛣️

🟠EXPLAIN:
* connects Northern Rio to airport ✈️
* reduces pressure on city centre roads 🏙️
* toll used to reduce the cost of construction 💵
↳ through reinvestment

🟣EVALUATION:
➡ However:
* 70,000 vehicles per day use the road 🚗🚗🚗
↳ 13,000 higher than expected
* Allowed increased suburban expansion 🏘️
↳ due to shorter journey times

🔵 EXAMPLE:
➡ (e.g. Yellow Line Expressway)

____________________________________________________________________________

3.) 🟢POINT:
* Promotion of cycling through BIKE LANES and BICYCLE SHARING SYSTEM 🚲

🟠EXPLAIN:
* 90 miles of cycle paths 🚵
➡ built to encourage more cyclists and increase safety
* More cyclists 🚲🚲🚲
➡ reduces the number of cars on the road

🟣EVALUATION:
➡ However:
* Bike sharing and cycle lanes focused in tourist areas 📸
↳ do not help locals

🔵EXAMPLE:
* (e.g. Bike Rio)

____________________________________________________________________________

4.) 🟢POINT:
* CABLE CARS 🚠

🟠EXPLAIN:
* Decreasing the zig-zag walk through the steep sided favela ⛰️
* Connects the favelas to other areas of Rio 🗺️
* Reduces journey times ⌚📉
* As above road level,
➡ reduces the number of vehicles on the road 🚗📉
↳ needed due to lack of public transport in the favelas

🟣EVALUATION:
➡ However:
* Favelas demolished to make way for projects 🏗️
↳ leaving thousands homeless
* Aimed for tourists, not locals 📸
↳ as routes lead to tourist destinations so doesn’t reduce local traffic
* Low capacity carriages 🚠
↳ so less people can use them

🔵EXAMPLE:
* (e.g. Trans Carioca Expressway)

____________________________________________________________________________

5.) 🟢POINT:
* RENOVATION and IMPROVEMENT of metro system

🟠EXPLAIN:
* Less cars/buses brought into the city centre 🚗📉
* Connects city centre to airport ✈️
* Less buses required 🚌📉
➡ so less vehicles on road
* Cleanest form of public transport 🌳
* Pink females-only carriages 🚺🚇
➡ to increase safety

🟣EVALUATION:
➡ However:
* Only 5% of journeys taken by metro 🚇
↳ so less impact
* Stations may be far from commuters’ destinations 🗺️

____________________________________________________________________________

6.) 🟢POINT:
* BUS ONLY SECTIONS of road

🟠EXPLAIN:
* Reduces journey times ⌚📉
➡ (e.g. 50% less between Santa Cruz and Barra da Tijucae - so encourages use)
* Creates less pollution 💨📉
➡ as run 90% on compressed natural gas

🟣EVALUATION:
➡ However:
* Fewer lanes for other traffic 🛣️❌
↳ increasing congestion

🔵EXAMPLE:
* (e.g. Bus Rapid Transport)