Rio de Janeiro

Project Pier

Project Pier

Cidade da Samba

A new development in the port area of Rio offers all year Carneval.

Cidade da Samba

Brazil´s megacities and urban development policies

In this text urban researcher Prof. Dr. Maria da Silveira Lobo compiles some of the key facts about Megacity formation in Brasil, and reflects on event architecture and the spectacularisation of the City as well as on the role of NGOs. In November 2007 Ina Zwerger and Armin Medosch went to interview Maria for the forthcoming radio programme Brazil: Laboratory of the Future. Maria was so friendly to compile this text as a primer for our research. We thought that this text is an excellent resource, which should be made available to the public online.

Telecommunications in Brasil

This image illustrates the state of telecommunications in Brasil. Somewhere inside those messy cables is the copper wire which carries our ADSL. Because of the rain it stopped working. (I am now in another building where there still is a line). A decent always-on-internet connection costs a fortune here in Rio. If you consider the lower income level this makes it even more expensive. Mobile phone tariffs are punishing, 10 Euros went up in the air just for two or three short calls. So how can you have a knowledge society with such a cost structure?

Telecommunications in Brasil

Pao do Acucar (Sugar Loaf Mountain)

As soon as I had uploaded the firts two pictures, the connection broke. And then the grand deluge started. So it is not smoke that is coming out of the top of the famous mountain, but a cloud. At least we can see it again. because for 48 hours there was only water on all sides.

Pao do Acucar (Sugar Loaf Mountain)

Ina working Outdoors at Capacete

In Rio de Janeiro we are staying at Capacete, an artist residency in the old quarter of Santa Teresa. The DSL in the room did not work but we could pick up our hosts wireless connectrion from next door by working outdoors. Obviously Ina didn't mind and me neither.

Ina working Outdoors at Capacete
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