SENSEable CITY GUIDE TO RIO DE JANEIRO R RIO DE JANEIRO SENSEable CITY GUIDE COPYRIGHT ©2011 by SENSEable City Lab. All rights reserved. Cambridge, Massachusetts. PRODUCED BY The SENSEable City Lab, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology WITH SUPPORT FROM: GE PRODUCTION MANAGER Prudence Robinson EDITED BY Prudence Robinson Jennifer Dunnam Adam Pruden AUTHORS Bárbara Ribes Giner Elijah Hutchinson Eric Baczuk Okhyun Kim Otto C L Ng CONTRIBUTION FROM Catilin M. Zacharias Lindsey Hoshaw Eugene Lee GRAPHIC DESIGN studio FM milano PRINTED BY Puritan Press, Inc. PUBLISHED BY SA+P Press ISBN 9780979477485 SENSEable City Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology Building 9 - 209 | 77 Massachusetts Av. Cambridge, Massachusetts | 02139 USA T++ 1-617-2537926 | F++ 1-617-2588081 senseable.mit.edu RIO DE JANEIRO SENSEable City Guide R1 / R4 / Growing Connections The Sensing Nose by Bárbara Ribes Giner by Okhyun Kim R2 / R5 / WaterReader Beach Fashionsense by Elijah Hutchinson Rio 2016 by Otto C L Ng R3 / The Lula Project by Eric Baczuk SENSEable CITY LAB, MIT 6 SCG TO RIO DE JANEIRO / INTRODUCTION RIO DE JANIERO 7 Introduction SCG TO RIO DE JANEIRO / by Eric Baczuk INTRODUCTION As of 2010, more than half of this phenomenon of self-built and reduce the inequalities between the humanity resides in the dense, self-organized communities - made formal and informal city? urban agglomerations we call cities. of corrugated steel shacks and dirt This is merely a signpost of the pathways - flourished. However, Faced with these challenge, GE largest rural to urban migration despite their sizeable populations, (General Electric) partnered with ever witnessed in the history of social stigmas have prevented the SENSEable Cities Workshop to humanity - and this trend is set to these regions from receiving explore how distributed networks accelerate in the coming years. Such formal recognition by the city or its and pervasive technologies might rapid-urbanization places great strain authorities. Despite government be employed to augment or even on the infrastructure of cities. The efforts at slum clearance and create a new ground-up, urban adequate provision of clean water, relocation in the 1950s and 60s, and infrastructure in favelas. They were sanitation and basic power, has slum rehabilitation throughout the also interested in how technology become a challenge faced by new 70s and 80s, the favelas have proved might be used to break down the and existing cities alike. Today, minds resilient and remain a fixture of Rio’s social barriers that exist between the from across government, industry and landscape. Today, around a quarter “hills” and the “pavement,” to create academia are giving a great deal of of the population of Rio de Janeiro a more unified city. As Rio de Janeiro attention to urban infrastructure, and lives in favelas. Coming to terms will be hosting the 2014 World Cup understanding how these services with the reality of Favelas, state and of Soccer, and the Olympics in 2016, could be re-invented to keep up with federal governments have recently GE had a great interest in developing this massive influx. Unfortunately, for joined forces to improve living innovations in Rio that could be a growing number of cities around standards in a number of informal showcased to the world. During the world, civic infrastructure has communities around Rio. Since the their trip to Rio de Janeiro, the team already been outpaced by this flood early 1990’s, State-funded programs explored many aspects of the formal of urban migrants. This has lead to a such as Favela-Barrio (translates to and informal city. Staying near the steep rise in informal settlements at Slum-Neighborhood) have made beach in Copacabana, they sampled the peripheries of many of the world’s great strides towards improving the Rio’s famous beach culture before great cities. Over the next 20 years, the quality of life in these areas. Through visiting both “upgraded” (Vidigal) population of the world’s residents intensive capital expenditure and and “non-upgraded” (Rocinha) living in informal communities is invasive construction procedures, favelas, recording their experiences set to double, totalling over 2 billion many favelas have been improved, of each, interacting with locals and people by 2030. How are cities to equipping them with modern documenting social activities and cope with this new urban condition? sanitation, electrical power and built environments. This broad range If slums are inevitable, what can be drinking water supplies. However, of urban conditions and character done to raise the standards of health the progress of these programs gave the students an introduction and quality of life in these areas? are slow and costly, both to the to the complexity and diversity Devising how these regions are to government and to the communities that defines Rio de Janeiro. Finally, move forward in a socially inclusive in which they improve. Despite the through their discussions with GE and environmentally sustainable physical upgrading, glaring disparities and local researchers, they learned manner will serve as one of the continue to exist between the what kinds of data systems could greatest challenges of our generation. “hills” and the “pavement” across a be most helpful in improving public number of metrics, including income, access to physical infrastructure and The sprawling slums, or Favelas education, health and life expectancy. promoting public health in these of Rio de Janeiro are perhaps the Therefore, many challenges are still communities. With this information, world’s ‘poster child for informal present: What could be done to help the team developed designs that settlements.’ Starting in the 1880’s, overcome these social stigmas? How achieved each of the goals of their freed and escaped African slaves - far can these neglected communities be brief. Bárbara Ribes Giner designed too poor to acquire land of their own better served? Might there be cheaper, “Growing Connections,” a self- - began to appropriate the hillsides quicker alternatives to conventional organized digital marketplace that outside of Rio. Over generations, “upgrading”? What can be done to would link micro-producers of urban 8 agriculture with local consumers. By focusing on a diverse range of Elijah Hutchinson developed the issues and settings, the team has SCG TO “Water Reader,” a on-tap filter and designed a broad range of innovative reporting device that ensures users solutions for tackling the complex RIO DE JANEIRO / that the water they receive from their environmental and social challenges tap is safe for drinking. Eric Baczuk that face Rio de Janeiro today. Present invented “The Lula Project” a fleet of in each of these proposals is a strong interactive, autonomously controlled connection to personal choice and sensing robots that would patrol Rio’s the concept of micro-scale behavior, beaches, reporting on water pollution scaling up to inspire far-reaching INTRODUCTION levels, and inciting political action affect, and improving the experience for issues of waste-water treatment. and social amenities of the Cuidade Okhyun Kim proposed “The Sensing Mahrvelosa. This suite of proposals Nose,” a sensor-embedded fan that aims to inspire the city beyond the promotes indoor air quality in favela Olympics, towards a new future as Rio homes, while alerting residents de Janiero reinvents itself to secure of possible health risks. Otto Ng a place among the world’s most designed “Beach Fashionsense Rio progressive and competitive cities. 2016,” a line of sensor-equipped beachwear that uses a color-changing fabric to advise its users on potential water quality and UV risks. R1 Growing Connections by Bárbara Ribes Giner SENSEable CITY LAB, MIT 10 PROJECT their homes for consumption. regarding the quality of water they DESCRIPTION An alternative to collecting water drink and use. Improving their SCG TO from public fountains is water tanks knowledge about their carbon residents have installed on their roofs footprint, water safety and water RIO DE JANEIRO / The main focus of this project is to which collect rainwater. Though saving also needs to be a priority. propose solutions to pressing issues for some fortunate residents the After I identified these challenges, I for residents of Rio de Janeiro’s water stored in the tanks is sanitary, began thinking about a project where favelas. Rio is one of the World’s supplied by a company called the the main idea is using the roofs to most famous cities. A prominent city CEDAE, in most cases, the water in start a dynamic market in the favelas within Brazil and a part of a rapidly rooftop tanks is recollected rain. with a bottom-up infrastructure. R1 / developing economy of the BRIC Unfiltered, this water presents a The idea I propose is based on a countries (Brazil, Russia, India and public health concern. Sadly, it is a Rooftop Gardening System; this GROWING CONNECTIONS China). The city has been selected daily reality that people living in the system consists of a reconfigurable as the host city for the 2014 World favelas are drinking contaminated garden in which one of the pieces Cup, and also as the host for the 2016 water. As a consequence, many people (planters) can be assembled and Summer Olympics. are suffering from conditions like added to another stretching out in diarrhea, gastroenteritis, vomiting, horizontal direction. The lines of The city of Rio de Janeiro has a stomachaches, and in the worst planters may have a main tank of population of around 6 million cases, cholera, hepatitis A and E.coli water recollection, distribution, and people, with around 11 million people infections. Based on these filtration in order to water the plants in total residing in the Southeast observations, the following with clean non-polluted water. This region. Water availability, priorities were identified:providing would also help to provide suitable quality, and pollution are some clean drinking water for the whole growing conditions for vegetables of the most serious issues facing the community and a filtration system that the individual cultivators, may populace; especially the inhabitants needs to be in place for all residents.