Rio de Janeiro

Brazil’s second largest metropolitan area and one of the world’s largest megalopolises, Rio de Janeiro is known for the beauty of its natural settings, its cultural heritage, and as a center of the oil and gas industry. It was an important colonial city of the Portuguese empire and capital of Brazil for almost 200 years until the construction of Brasília. Its development trajectory is illustrative of the urbanization process of Brazil, marked by phases of accelerated growth, intense inward migration, and uneven development. Around 22 percent of the population lives in favelas, making Rio a city marked by social inequality and spatial segregation. The hosting of the 2016 Olympic Games was envisioned as a watershed moment in urban development but the delivery of a global city agenda was plagued by difficulties. Political and economic instability have affected the country, region, and city since 2015 and the post-Olympic development trajectory of Rio is unclear.