Evictions Resistance Techniques
Since November 2010 Catalytic Communities has been carefully documenting, tracking and following evictions patterns in favelas across the city. As a result, we have become [...]
Articles by Theresa Williamson
Introduction to Gentrification
“Gentrificação” has become a hot word in contemporary Rio de Janeiro, introduced in 2011 to the common vernacular. Catalytic Communities was the first [...]
Community Planning
Since 2000 Catalytic Communities has worked closely with hundreds of leaders and residents from over 200 favelas across Rio, documenting and supporting the development of [...]
Pacifying Police Units (UPP)
State program established in 2008 by the Rio de Janeiro Public Security Secretariat to introduce “community policing” in favelas across the City of Rio and [...]
Growth Acceleration Program (PAC)
Federal program established in 2007 by President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva and expanded under President Dilma Rousseff, providing large-scale infrastructure [...]
Minha Casa Minha Vida (MCMV)
Federal program established in 2009 by President Dilma Rousseff providing large-scale mass public housing nationwide, including over 66,000 units in Rio de Janeiro. [...]
Morar Carioca
City program established in 2010 run by the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Housing Secretariat to “upgrade all favelas in Rio by 2020,” building on historical [...]
Community-Based Sanitation
In July 2013 Catalytic Communities partnered with Solar Cities Solutions, a US-based NGO that has implemented community-based sanitation systems around the world, to bring [...]
Adverse Possession | Squatter’s Rights
Federal guarantee of the right to adverse possession for the purpose of housing provided via the 1988 Brazilian Constitution, based on the “social function of [...]