When do big urban projects happen? An analysis from porto maravilha in rio de janeiro

Abstract

Big urban projects are a reality in the world, and recently also in Brazil. Since the 1980s, Rio de Janeiro has been conducting a major urban project in its port region, which is only now being implemented, which is the first large-scale projecttobecarriedoutinBrazil.Thequestionthatarisesis:when,orunder what conditions do large urban projects take place? The recurrent explanation in the literature associates its realization with economic factors centered on the valorization of urban land and the competition between cities associated with the dynamics of global capitalism. This article seeks to present a complementary argument to the debate, which considers in addition to the macroeconomic context, the institutional and formal conditions necessary to enable the implementation of such projects. This reflection is based on the debate on urban governance and a historical institutional analysis of the case of Porto Maravilha in Rio de Janeiro. Finally, the article suggests that the type of analysis presented from the Rio case is important for the studies on large urban projects since the understanding of the institutional processes helps to understand the impacts of the project on the city’s governance, between actors influence who wins what in the outcome of the policy.