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Latest News
  • [ December 4, 2025 ] Portrait of a Centenary-Old Favela of Stilt Houses: Belém’s Vila da Barca Resists, Organizes and Fights for Sanitation and Adequate Housing #HousingWatch
  • [ November 30, 2025 ] The Story of Dona Pascoalina, Midwife and Healer of Morro do Borel by Community Contributors
  • [ November 15, 2025 ] ‘There’s No Such Thing as Normal After a Massacre’: One Week After Police Mega-Operation Kills 121 People, Residents From Complexos do Alemão and Penha Speak Out #UPPWatch
  • [ November 13, 2025 ] ‘Human Beings Forget That They Are Nature’: Favelas Teach the Path to the Future at the 2nd Favela Sustainability Festival Civil Society
  • [ November 12, 2025 ] Food Sovereignty and Culinary Heritage Connect with Fight for Climate Justice at the 2nd Sustainable Favela Festival Civil Society
HomeWritersTheresa Williamson

Writer: Theresa Williamson

Theresa Williamson is an urban planner and founding director of Catalytic Communities, the organization responsible for publishing RioOnWatch and coordinating the Sustainable Favela Network, Favela Community Land Trust project and Covid-19 in Favelas Unified Dashboard.
#GentrificationWatch

Building the Singular City: Land Tenure and Urban Planning in Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas

By Theresa Williamson • September 19, 2013

Clique aqui para Português On August 7, 2013, Catalytic Communities‘ Executive Director and urban planner, Theresa Williamson, gave a presentation on land tenure and urban planning in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas as part of a Casa […]

Civil Society

Protests Are Just the Beginning; Change Will Come to Brazil (NYT Brazil Protests Debate in-depth response)

By Theresa Williamson • June 20, 2013

Clique aqui para Português June 19, 2013–CatComm Executive Director Theresa Williamson was invited to engage in a New York Times debate forum on the protests taking hold of Brazil. See original debate here with her response here. Full response follows: Anyone […]

#EvictionsWatch

Largo do Tanque Demolition [IMAGES]

By Lianne Milton, Theresa Williamson • February 27, 2013

Monday, Feb. 25, 2013–Residents of Largo do Tanque undergo forced evictions and demolition of homes in Rio de Janeiro’s West Zone, to make room for the Transcarioca highway and BRT, whose final trajectory is still unknown […]

#EvictionsWatch

Resettlement Cannot Represent a Step Backwards in the Development of Communities

By Theresa Williamson • Translation by Sarah De Rose • October 12, 2012

Clique aqui para Português Opinion piece written by Theresa Williamson, City Planner and Executive Director of Catalytic Communities, for the Folha de São Paulo newspaper. Click here for Portuguese original. Article accompanied Folha piece on evictions at Favela […]

#Rio2016

Brazil is Missing an Opportunity to Invest in the Favelas (NYT Olympics Debate in-depth response)

By Theresa Williamson • April 2, 2012

Clique aqui para Português April 2, 2012–CatComm Executive Director Theresa Williamson invited to engage in a New York Times debate forum on the legacy of mega-events. See original debate here with concise response here. Full […]

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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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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
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