Flexibility<\/h3>\n
As a consequence of the historic lack of regulation that defines informality, favelas are partly characterized by their strong flexibility. The capacity to adapt to a specific context differentiates them from formal housing which is planned and built following a rational project with specific\u00a0targets for\u00a0the buildings, such as a specific number of residents or their integration to the city. In opposition, informal settlements are characterized by an organic and evolving architecture, constantly adapting to a topology, a context, and most importantly to the needs of residents.<\/p>\n While the rigidity of planned housing causes it to decay in the long term, favelas can\u00a0be easily modified, facilitated by the use of cheap and largely accessible materials, allowing them to evolve quickly in their environment.<\/p>\n Today, many of Rio’s favelas\u00a0are experiencing a considerable rise in real estate values due to a property bubble in the city, the installation of Pacifying Police Units (UPPs)<\/a>\u00a0and the forces of\u00a0gentrification<\/a>. Yet, favelas constitute\u00a0Rio’s affordable housing stock with communities located across the city including in the central and South Zones. This is a significant asset in a city with\u00a0overloaded transit networks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Different financing\u00a0processes also distinguish formal and informal urban production in Rio de Janeiro. Planned housing, whether public or corporative, is financed through\u00a0short or medium-term investments decided by small committees. This system can be deemed rigid and indeed hazardous, considering the risk of the ultimate failure of the project. This, in the case of government housing, means a large chance of\u00a0wasted public funds.<\/p>\n In contrast, the building\u00a0cost of an informal settlement is characterized by the economic independence of the residents, in both the construction and maintenance, and developed through\u00a0a slow and collective design process. Houses\u00a0are often built progressively springing from\u00a0the entrepreneurship of each household, with families investing time and resources in the materials and the design of their home. Another consequence is a much better appropriation of the space by residents, involved in the maintenance of their dwelling\u2013while most social housing projects are subject to\u00a0faster degradation.<\/p>\n Although lacking the modern green buildings known for their individual environmental qualities, favelas generally have predispositions to sustainability in the way they are\u00a0collectively organized. In fact, their characteristic low-rise density facilitates not only the installation of public services, but also implies a mixed-use urban composition, combining residential areas over commercial and social lots. This feature also means\u00a0a proximity between the home, work and commercial spaces, and consequently reduced need for transportation. In addition, the pedestrian-oriented configuration, and the use of bicycles<\/a> in low-lying\u00a0favelas, also reduce\u00a0transit issues and have a positive impact on environment.<\/p>\n Community eco-friendly initiatives are progressively appearing in informal areas of Rio de Janeiro, promoting responsible environmental behavior through the education of younger generations. Located in the dense informal urban environment of the Complexo do Alem\u00e3o<\/a>, the\u00a0Verdejar Socioambiental<\/a> organization is\u00a0one of the most notable\u00a0examples. Their use of energy-free domestic devices\u2013from biodigesters<\/a> and water cleansing systems to solar energy heating systems\u2013demonstrates an evident trend and potential for sustainability with simple means.<\/p>\n Cultural and social production is perhaps the biggest advantage that favelas hold over state housing complexes. The display of such cultural creative vibrancy<\/a>\u2013through arts<\/a>, music<\/a>, dance<\/a>, sport<\/a> or food<\/a>\u2013within\u00a0Rio’s urban environment is distinctive to its informal settlements, and constitutes a significant part of Rio de Janeiro\u2019s cultural heritage. Long considered unworthy of attention, favelas today have become places where cultural events are an attraction for both local residents and\u00a0visitors seeking to experience their unique social and cultural offerings.<\/p>\n Favelas\u2019 high degree of sociability<\/a> on a local scale is also due to their dense organization, promoting mixed-used properties and lowering the isolation possibilities by stimulating community exchanges, fostering strong local networks and encouraging collective action. The high visibility of rooftops and terraces, and the proximity of houses, also facilitates human interaction and bonds between neighbors.<\/p>\n The flexibility of informal settlements is also beneficial to the production of social interfaces, as a way to insert a specific activity in a stagnating neighborhood. City of God<\/a> is a good example. As a social housing complex launched by the government in the 1960s, the project\u00a0struggled to meet\u00a0the newly relocated residents\u2019 basic social needs, after\u00a0having been planned as a mono-functional residential area. To activate the dead space between the generic housing blocks, the community informally implemented social and commercial interfaces, such as bars, kiosks and gyms, soon turning the area into a semi-informal hybrid neighborhood, ultimately becoming one of\u00a0the most famous of Rio\u2019s favelas today.<\/p>\n The beauty of favelas is subjective and can be debated, and will be more aptly\u00a0applied in reference to some areas in relation than others. However, many of these areas feature interesting aesthetic characteristics, and on different scales.<\/p>\n Historically, the first favelas were implemented on hills in central areas of the city, as the formal growth of the city constrained itself to the flat and easily constructible land. As a consequence, the locations of most informal settlements provide stunning panoramas and viewpoints of Rio de Janeiro\u2019s landscape and coastline, stimulating in recent years\u2013for better or worse<\/a>\u2013an\u00a0influx of tourists visiting\u00a0specific spots. The favelas\u2019 slow and progressive growth in steep and elevated areas also follows the curves of the topology,\u00a0not\u00a0breaking the lines of natural landscapes as high-rises\u00a0would.<\/p>\n The charm of a favela can also be owed to the spontaneity of its planning, leading to surprising and irregular spaces, breaking the monotony of a traditional city grid, while the limited range of construction material paradoxically harmonizes the visual impression of the environment. The various forms of street art and embellishments displayed in these communities, often made from simple resources, also contribute to a diverse visual panorama that has become iconic in popular culture.<\/p>\n Attempts to invest in and upgrade Rio’s favelas in Rio de Janeiro go back decades but are principally associated with the 1990s, through the Favela-Bairro<\/a>\u00a0program and later through\u00a0the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC)<\/a>\u00a0and Morar Carioca<\/a> initiatives. In most cases however, these programs impose\u00a0rational solutions, completely new to the community and independent of the actual mechanics of a territory, rather than working with the existing qualities and specificities of the favela. Nevertheless, the improvement potential in Rio de Janeiro\u2019s informal settlements is significant. The flexibility of these areas reveals their great capacity to adapt to different and evolving contexts. The favelas’ economic characteristics also prove to be very viable. Their low-rise density, mixed-used composition and disposition for public transportation and walkability are all attributes championed\u00a0by postmodern urban design movements. But the strongest asset of a favela is\u00a0its community: encouraging collective action and representative of a strong cultural identity, favela-style\u00a0development today is inspiring\u00a0opportunities to overcome the limits of formal planned construction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Informal-structures-620x264.png\" "\\"Informally")
<\/a><\/p>\nAffordable housing solution<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Inside-a-house-in-Vidigal-620x264.png\" "\\"One")
<\/a><\/p>\nSustainability<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/@Hudson-Freire-620x264.png\" "\\"Vertical")
<\/a><\/p>\nCulture, community and sociability<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/A-cultural-manifestation-from-residents-of-Ceu-Corra-620x264.png\" "\\"A")
<\/a><\/p>\nAesthetics<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/9578438446_a66d5b9a47_c-620x264.jpg\" "\\"Rocinha")
<\/a><\/p>\nConclusion<\/h3>\n