Rio, quo vadis? - A critical analysis of Rio de Janeiro and the impacts of the Olympics 2016
Author
Sollacher, Florian Robert
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-06-02
Pages
53
Abstract
This thesis examines how Rio de Janeiro’s preparations for the 2016 Olympics reshaped urban planning and policy at national and municipal levels, and what this meant for low-income residents. Grounded in critical urban theory and the concepts of social and spatial justice, the study employs a case-study design combining field observations in Rio, a review of the literature, analysis of national and municipal plans, strategies and policies, and one semi-structured expert interview. Mega-events such as the Olympics can act as catalysts for economic growth within a neoliberal strategy, but they also carry the risk of socially and spatially unjust outcomes, including segregation and exclusion. The analysis shows that strategies and policies in Rio were substantially altered in favor of the mega-event: public–private partnerships were put in place, rules of exception were applied, and rezoning was used to advance real-estate developer interests. In this context, socio-spatial injustices remained and were intensified; notably, the Minha Casa, Minha Vida housing program, originally designed to reduce inequalities, was steered in ways that could exacerbate them. Although planners recognize socio-spatial inequities, municipal efforts largely mitigated outcomes rather than transforming underlying structures, remaining embedded in a capitalist growth paradigm and constraining the “right to the just city.”
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan forberedelserne til OL 2016 i Rio de Janeiro ændrede byplanlægning og politik på nationalt og kommunalt niveau, og hvilke konsekvenser dette havde for byens lavindkomstbefolkning. Med udgangspunkt i kritisk urban teori og begreberne social og rumlig retfærdighed gennemføres et casestudie baseret på feltobservationer i Rio, litteraturstudie, dokumentanalyse af nationale og kommunale planer, strategier og politikker samt ét semistruktureret ekspertinterview. Mega-begivenheder som OL kan fungere som katalysatorer for økonomisk vækst inden for en neoliberalt orienteret strategi, men indebærer samtidig risiko for socialt og rumligt uretfærdige udviklinger som segregation og eksklusion. Analysen viser, at strategier og politikker i Rio i høj grad blev ændret til fordel for mega-begivenheden: offentligt-private partnerskaber blev sat i værk, undtagelsesregler blev anvendt, og omzonering blev brugt til at fremme ejendomsudvikleres interesser. I denne kontekst blev social og rumlig uretfærdighed fastholdt og forstærket; blandt andet blev boligprogrammet Minha Casa, Minha Vida, som var tænkt til at reducere uligheder, drejet i en retning, der i praksis kunne øge dem. Selvom planlæggere er bevidste om socio-rumlige skævheder, har kommunens tiltag primært afhjulpet symptomer frem for underliggende strukturer og forbliver forankret i et kapitalistisk vækstparadigme, hvilket begrænser “retten til den retfærdige by”.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]
Keywords