Suburban Sprawl Takes Hold In Brazil's Mega-cities

Population densities are decreasing in the razilian mega-cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo as lower-income residents move away from the city centers. The growth aggravates the cities' problems.

1 minute read

November 29, 2005, 11:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen

The "emptying" -- or thinning -- of Rio, which now is home to six million people, is due to a series of factors, beginning with the expansion of vehicles and a 1942 law that promoted the home ownership, whereas rental housing had previously predominated...

The possibility of traveling "to any distant place" in a vehicle with its four tires made moving to the periphery viable, as families and developers sought cheaper land to build homes. That "option for the paved city model" and the impoverishment of the population are the two leading factors behind urban spread..."

Thanks to Ashwani Vasishth

FULL STORY: The Emptying of the Mega-Cities

Friday, November 18, 2005 in Inter Press Service News Agency

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