The urbanisation process in Brazil is characterised by inequality: 72 per cent of the poor population live in cities. At the same time, urban development focuses on individual services rather than considering the entire process as a holistic advancement of urban areas. Brazilian cities also exhibit some of the greatest regional disparities in the world, resulting in various types of marginalised areas. This can be seen in the so-called favelas where 16,4 million Brazilians live. These areas have precarious living conditions and are affected by a lack of multiple public services. Structurally, the cities of the Amazon region are the weakest region in Brazil, marked by poverty and considerable service deficits.
In the cities of the Amazon and in informal settlements across Brazil, urban development focuses on integrated and inclusive measures, with greater emphasis on climate-sensitivity.
Project work includes:
- Implementing pilot measures for integrated, inclusive, and climate-sensitive urban development in marginalised urban areas to to reduce social and regional inequality.
- Developing models for local economic and urban development in cities of the Amazon region. In urban informal settlements the project supports implementation processes of existing national policies. Across Brazil, the project works to improve the organisational development of city networks for knowledge transfer.
- Providing technical support to the Ministry of Cities (MCid) and selected financing institutions.