Page 11 - UmRio Sustainability - Action Plan
P. 11

PROJECT BACKGROUND



             PROJECT LOCATION & CONTEXT




             Morro do Castro and the city of Niterói in the state of Rio de Janeiro.


             Morro  do  Castro  is  a  favela  that  straddles  the
             cities of São Gonçalo and Niterói in the state of
             Rio de Janeiro. These cities are located across the
             Guanabara  Bay  from  the  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro
             (Mapa MICHELIN Niterói -, n.d.). Whereas Niterói
             is considered a city with a high quality of life and
             relative  safety,  in  2021,  São  Gonçalo  was
             considered one of the most dangerous places for
             young adults to live (“Niterói,” n.d.) (Deister, 2021).


             Approximately  eight  miles  separate  the  cities  of
             Niterói and São Gonçalo from the city of Rio de
             Janeiro.  Niterói  has  a  progressive  government
             that  creates  public  policies  to  improve  urban
             development,  including  social  inclusion,  and
             prioritizes     health,     education,      economic
             development, education, culture, and sanitation.
             Approximately  25%  of  Morro  do  Castro  lies  in          Map of the city of Niterói and
             Niterói,  and  75%  is  in  São  Gonçalo.  Still,  UmRio     São Gonçalo in relation to Rio

             has a better relationship and more support from               de Janeiro (Mapa MICHELIN
             the  city  of  Niterói.  Officially,  São  Gonçalo  claims     Niterói - ViaMichelin, n.d.)
             Morro do Castro as one of their neighborhoods.


             Morro  do  Castro  is  not  in  the  city  of  Rio  de
             Janeiro. Rather, it is in the state of Rio de Janeiro,
             located  across  the  Rio-Niteroí  bridge,  and
             straddles the towns of Niterói and São Gonçalo
             (“Mapas  e  Bairros,”  n.d.).  The  most  recognized
             favelas  in  Brazil  are  located  on  the  hills  of  the
             city of Rio de Janeiro, and because they are the
             most  well-known,  most  researched,  and  have
             similar  demographics  and  geography  to  Morro
             do Castro, data from Rocinha, the largest favela
             in Brazil, and other favelas located in the city of          Map of districts within the city of

             Rio  de  Janeiro,  may  be  used  as  a  proxy  for             São Gonçalo from the city’s
             Morro do Castro.                                             website. (“Mapas e Bairros,” n.d.)




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