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Latest News
  • [ March 16, 2026 ] Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes Sells Off Iconic Green Spaces [REFERENCE] #InterventionWatch
  • [ March 13, 2026 ] Eight Years Without Marielle: Marielle Franco Case Revives Faith in Punishing the Guilty [OPINION] #MarielleLegacy
  • [ March 11, 2026 ] In Print and Online, ‘Fala Roça’ Newspaper Is a Comprehensive Tool for Citizenship in Rocinha, Brazil’s Largest Favela #CommunityMedia
  • [ March 5, 2026 ] ‘Valongo’s New Blacks Cemetery’ Trilogy Reveals Deep Roots of Structural Racism and Urban Inequality in Rio [BOOK REVIEW] *Highlight
  • [ February 28, 2026 ] Meet the CIEPs: In Rio de Janeiro, An Ahead-of-Its-Time Education Policy Turns 40 Having Resisted Decades of Dismantling *Highlight
Home#FavelasAreAssets

#FavelasAreAssets

View from Laboriaux, top of Rocinha
#HousingWatch

Housing Policy Lessons from Rio’s Favelas Part 1: Construction and Community

By David Robertson • October 4, 2016

Clique aqui para Português This is the first in a five-part series titled Housing Policy Lessons from Rio’s Favelas. We hope this series will inform debates on housing and favela upgrading and that Rio’s new mayor, Marcelo […]

*Highlight

Favelization and the Appropriation of Favelas in International Design [BOOK REVIEW]

By Nashwa Al-sharki • October 3, 2016

Clique aqui para Português Design academic Adriana Kertzer was born to an American mother and a first generation Brazilian father. Not fully embraced as a Brazilian or American, Kertzer’s sense of displacement makes her especially sensitive […]

*Highlight

Solidarity Economy Part 1: Cooperative Development in Rio and Beyond

By Anna Cash • September 29, 2016

Clique aqui para Português This is the first article of our three-part series on the Solidarity Economy in Brazil. When one stops to consider Rio’s hundreds of favelas for their plurality, with a lens of […]

#Rio2016

Gold Medalist Rafaela Silva Welcomed Home in City of God [SLIDESHOW | VIDEO]

By Mariah Barber • August 25, 2016

Clique aqui para Português On Monday August 22, 24-year old Rafaela Silva returned home to City of God with Brazil’s first gold medal from the 2016 Olympic Games in hand. Her return visit and parade through the City of […]

#Rio2016

Rio’s Hometown Olympians Showcase Favelas’ Athletic Potential

By Natalie Southwick • August 20, 2016

Clique aqui para Português When Rafaela Silva threw her hands into the air to celebrate her victory in the Olympic gold-medal match of women’s judo, residents, athletes and coaches throughout Rio’s favelas celebrated with her. Much has already […]

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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
    • Reference Articles
  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
    • North Zone
    • West Zone
    • 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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