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Latest News
  • [ January 13, 2026 ] 10 Years Since the Rio Olympics: Vila Autódromo Continues to Resist Gentrification Pressures Amidst New ‘Olympic Barra’ Neighborhood #EvictionsWatch
  • [ January 8, 2026 ] COP30 Civil Society Rundown: Thousands of Communities and Social Movements, Representing Favelas, Indigenous, Quilombola and Other Marginalized Groups Fill Belém During COP30 [IMAGES] *Highlight
  • [ December 31, 2025 ] ‘What We Want Aren’t Bodies on the Ground… It’s Recognition of [Our] People Creating Solutions’: Penha Favelas Hold Composters and Integrated Health Events Highlighting Local Climate Memories *Highlight
  • [ December 26, 2025 ] 2025 Retrospective of Top International Reporting on Rio’s Favelas #MediaWatch
  • [ December 24, 2025 ] ‘No One in Terra Firme Will Sleep Hungry Today!’ Amid Adversity, Belém Favela Initiatives Distribute 2,200 Meals During COP30 With Support from the People’s Summit Solidarity Kitchen *Highlight
HomeInformality

Informality

#EvictionsWatch

Vendor Whose Kiosk Was Destroyed in VK: ‘My Dream Isn’t Dead, But It’s Been Dealt a Major Setback’

By Luisa Fenizola • Translation by Cheyne Bull • April 19, 2018

Clique aqui para Português At least two evictions mark Vila Kennedy’s history. The first, after the 1964 military coup, was when families were evicted from Favela do Esqueleto. The state government carried out the eviction […]

*Highlight

Creative Business: The Unique Driver of Entrepreneurship in Maré

By Thaís Cavalcante • Translation by Jiselle Steele • April 4, 2018

Clique aqui para Português In Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, enterprising residents with their own businesses respond to their neighbors’ needs. In the favela complex of Maré alone, there are over 140,000 residents spread across 17 favelas. Each […]

*Highlight

Yunus: How to Create a World of Zero Poverty, Unemployment, and Carbon Emissions [BOOK REVIEW]

By Alex Besser, Eli Nemzer • March 26, 2018

Clique aqui para Português In his new book, A World of Three Zeros: The New Economics of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment and Zero Net Carbon Emissions, Nobel Peace Prize-winning author Muhammad Yunus proposes social business […]

#ParticipationWatch

Rio Solidarity Economy Celebrates New State Plan While Battle Continues for Alternative Economy

By Gigi Ong-Alok • July 3, 2017

Clique aqui para Português On Friday, June 23, the Solidarity Economy State Plan of Rio de Janeiro was festively launched at Rio’s Municipal Theatre. Representatives, entrepreneurs and collaborators at the event celebrated this political and […]

*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 […]

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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.
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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
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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
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    • License
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