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Latest News
  • [ October 29, 2026 ] Favela Leaders Confronting the Climate Crisis In Diverse, Creative Ways Is Top Takeaway From Latest ‘Sustainable Favela Festival’ *Highlight
  • [ October 23, 2026 ] ‘We Are at Risk of Losing Everything We Hold Most Precious:’ What’s at Stake When Brazilians Head to the Polls This Sunday [OPINION] #CoronavirusWatch
  • [ October 22, 2026 ] What Do Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro Policy Platforms Intend For Favelas? #UPPWatch
  • [ October 21, 2026 ] Grassroots Movements Across the State of Rio Held 300 Pro-Democracy Rallies This Month, Show #VoicesFromSocialMedia #ParticipationWatch
  • [ October 20, 2026 ] Polling Location Changes in Favelas That Typically Support Lula Led to Significant Abstentions in Brazil’s First Round Voting, Raising Profound Ethical Questions #ParticipationWatch
HomeNeighborhood Association

Neighborhood Association

#LegacyWatch

The ‘Cloud’ Has an Address: Data Centers Put Water, Electricity and Land at the Center of the Debate in Rio de Janeiro

By Felipe Migliani • Translation by Ikrom Alajoulin • September 17, 2026

Clique aqui para Português This article is part of our series reflecting on the impacts of mega-events on Rio de Janeiro 10 years after the 2016 Olympic Games.  As the Rio AI City project, a data […]

#EvictionsWatch

Cruzada São Sebastião—70 Years of Public Housing in the Heart of Rio de Janeiro’s Upscale South Zone Neighborhood of Leblon

By Flavia Leone, Lohana Campos, Rafael Soares Gonçalves • Translation by Ujwala Murthy • June 15, 2026

Clique aqui para Português For much of the 20th century, between the shores of the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and Rio de Janeiro’s Leblon neighborhood, stood one of the largest favelas in the city’s upscale […]

#GentrificationWatch

‘We Cannot Allow Cities To Be Emptied of Their True Citizens’: Princess Abze Djigma of Burkina Faso Visits Rio’s Cândido Mendes Mansion

By Bárbara Dias • Translation by Staff • May 21, 2026

Clique aqui para Português Residents of the Cândido Mendes Mansion in Santa Teresa, a neighborhood in central Rio de Janeiro, received a distinguished visitor on May 7, Her Royal Highness Princess Abze Djigma of Burkina […]

#EvictionsWatch

‘This Is Where My Life Began:’ Residents of Santa Teresa Occupation Claim Right to Stay in Talks With Federal Heritage Secretariat

By Bárbara Dias • Translation by Ujwala Murthy • May 14, 2026

Clique aqui para Português Residents of the Cândido Mendes Mansion in Santa Teresa, a neighborhood in central Rio de Janeiro, are at imminent risk of repossession proceedings leading to eviction after a construction project contracted […]

#ParticipationWatch

Rio Civil Society Forms Front to Defend Trees From City Hall

By Amanda Baroni Lopes • Translation by Vasti Cruz • March 31, 2026

Clique aqui para Português Last November, RioOnWatch reported on the dismantling of the award-winning Reforestation Collective Action Program, a rare example of an effective, historic public policy in the city’s favelas. Now, various movements are […]

Posts pagination

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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.

Contact & Support

contact@rioonwatch.org
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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
    • 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
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