Inclusive sustainability within favela upgrading and incremental housing: The case of Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro

This paper addresses two different urban phenomena that currently take place in Rocinha, the most prominent favela (slum) of Rio de Janeiro, with more than 100 000 inhabitants. On the one hand, that of the houses' expansion typically accomplished through constructions on the rooftop (the upper slab), operations locally known as the construção de laje (upper slab construction). On the other hand, new urban spaces as a result of public resettlement operations consisting of the clearing of tangled webs of narrow, dark and unhealthy alleys that crisscross up and down the favela. As an example, we will take the case of the 4th Street operation, a multidimensional process of de‐densification that involved heavy demolition, the removal of many houses and relocation of the dwellers. This urban renewal was carried out with resources from a federal programme and conducted by the state government, but with the involvement of different local actors, including local associations and community activists. The study focuses on the social sustainability issues underlying the private and public process, analysing the roles played by the different stakeholders and their interactions. The collection of data and subsequent analysis comprises diverse methods including literature review, examination of architectural and urban projects, surveys, interviews with architects and other municipal and private technicians, as well as inquiries to the householders. These interviews and inquiries revealed the favela's dwellers' perception regarding the two‐year process and, in particular, the role played by the different actors involved. The conclusions highlight the social networks that arose and consolidated during the slum upgrading process and analyse the interactions among the members of those networks.