A black neighbourhood for Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic strategy

urban entrepreneurship, essentialism and socio-political conflicts in contemporary Brazil

Abstract

During its Olympic cycle (2009-2016), at a historic moment in which governments and private agents around the world sought to overcome the effects of a serious economic crisis evidenced precisely in the relationship between financial capital and urbanization, the city of Rio de Janeiro received huge investments for urban policies. The Madureira neighbourhood, represented by its Afro-Brazilian traditions, was a privileged place for these investments and fundamental for understanding the short-term effectiveness of this city project and its resulting conflicts and political twists. T he objective of this article is to present reasons, actions and omissions for the implementation of this city project, with its potentials, contradictions and its immediate effects.