City Symbols and Rio de Janeiro: Centralism and Power as against the Outskirts and Community

Abstract

Rio de Janeiro is here said to be the only capital city in world better known for its natural rather than its architectural icon features, these being the two headlands called respectively, the Pan de Azucar Sugar loafl and the Corcovedo that face each other across Guanabara Bay. The author goes into the history of permanent struggle the natural fact of these and the demands upon them of a growing need for urban expansion. He tells us of how two other upland features, the morros of Castelo and San Antonio were levelled, how part of the bay was reclaimed for the aterro of Llamego, of how tunnels were driven through both headlands and states that the postcard vision of them has but little to do with reality, the slopes of both being smothered with disordered anonymous slum dwellings. During the 90s, the City Hall put forward plans to overhaul this sad image by redesigning the centres of 17 of the capital?s districts to the end of rehabilitating both the cultural and environmental identity of their inhabita.