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Latest News
  • [ May 15, 2026 ] Complex and Intelligent, the Favela Has Its Own Geography Favela Qualities
  • [ May 14, 2026 ] ‘This Is Where My Life Began:’ Residents of Santa Teresa Occupation Claim Right to Stay in Talks With Federal Heritage Secretariat #EvictionsWatch
  • [ May 13, 2026 ] 10 Years After Rio’s Most Notorious Pre-Olympic Forced Eviction, Women-Led Collective Action Preserves the Memory of Vila Autódromo #LegacyWatch
  • [ May 9, 2026 ] Data Centers, AI and the Social Costs for Rio de Janeiro: What Does It Mean in Practice to Become a Big Tech Hub? [EDITORIAL] #LegacyWatch
  • [ April 28, 2026 ] The Who and Why of Sustainability: Without Retraining, Waste Pickers Have Been on Losing End of Greenwashing 14 Years After Closing of ‘Waste Land’ Dump *Highlight
Homestreet vendors

street vendors

*Highlight

Marked Cards and Food Irregularities at ‘Legalized’ Street Commerce During Rio’s Carnival

By Aline Galdino • Translation by Adam Lee • March 21, 2017

Clique aqui para Português As a resident of the Parque União favela in Complexo da Maré, I’ve been familiar with the informal market since an early age. Many of my neighbors make a living selling homemade meals […]

*Highlight

The Informal Economy in Rio: Stories from Pedra do Sal and Beyond

By Eli Nemzer • January 24, 2017

Clique aqui para Português “Uma promoção pra você: dez Reais, três Antárticas!” “Queijo Minas! Queijo Minas! Cinco Reais!” The calls of the vendors echo into the warm night over the hum of laughing revelers and […]

#GentrificationWatch

Port Region Residents Suffer with Ceaseless Light Rail Construction #OlympicLegacyWatch

By Mariah Barber • November 28, 2016

Clique aqui para Português In 2013, construction for the Veículo Leve Sobre Trilhos (VLT) or Light Rail System, led by Rio’s Port revitalization program, Porto Maravilha’s (Marvelous Port) VLT Carioca Consortium, began throughout Rio de Janeiro’s […]

#ParticipationWatch

On the Eve of the Mayoral Election, Favela Residents Speak about Their Public Policy Needs

By Luisa Fenizola • Translation by Laura Fairman • October 1, 2016

Clique aqui para Português With municipal elections fast approaching, Rio voters need to choose from the 11 candidates running for mayor. Despite very different proposals, the challenges facing the post-Olympics city management are the same for everyone, […]

*Highlight

The Language of the Favela Part 3: Cultural Expressions

By Gitanjali Patel • April 15, 2016

Clique aqui para Português This is the third of a three-part series on the language spoken in the peripheries of Rio de Janeiro. Don’t miss Part 1 and Part 2. Everything in the favela is different, […]

Posts pagination

« 1 2 3 »

RioOnWatch’s anti-racist reporting series won silver in the 2022 inaugural The Anthem Awards, in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category among Best Local Awareness Programs.
A Project of

About

In May 2010, Catalytic Communities launched what was originally Rio Olympics Neighborhood Watch (hence RioOnWatch), a program to bring visibility to favela community voices in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics. This news site, RioOnWatch.org, grew into a much-needed and unique reference featuring favela perspectives on the urban transformation of Rio. With diverse and deeply interlinked articles by a mix of community reporters, resident opinions, solidarity reporters, international observers, and academic researchers, we work to engender a more accurate picture of favelas, their contributions to the city, and the potential of favela-led community development in Rio and around the world.

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10 Years! Check Out Our Story:

Awards

Special Thanks

Fundação Heinrich Böll Brasil
World Habitat
Fideicomiso de la Tierra Caño Martín Peña
Pastoral de Favelas
Center for CLT Innovation
Global Land Alliance
Ecocity Builders
Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation
SDSU Behner Stiefel Center
The Rio Times
Forum Grita Baixada
Beto Paixão Graphic Design
Architecture Museum of Vienna
Yale School of Architecture

  • Home
    • Highlighted Stories
    • Understanding Rio
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  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
    • North Zone
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    • Greater Rio
  • Policies
    • Public Security
    • Housing
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
    • Community Solution
    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
    • by Community Contributors
    • by Int’l Observers
    • Series
      • Anti-Racist Series
      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
    • Photo-Essays
    • Interviews/Profiles
    • Research & Analysis
    • Reviews
    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
    • Our Reporting Policy
    • License
    • Feedback
  • For Journos
  • Donate

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