Entrepreneurial Governance: Neoliberal Modernization

Abstract

In this article, it is argued that several changes are underway in the city of Rio de Janeiro related to what has been called neoliberal entrepreneurial governance, involving a process of creative destruction of urban structures, institutional arrangements for the management, and regulation of urban space. In particular, one must consider the context of the city's preparation to receive two sports mega-events, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Supported by a coalition of economic, political, and social interests, this project seems to hit specifically the urban configuration of certain areas, notably Barra da Tijuca, the Port Area and the South Zone, pointing toward the deepening of socio-spatial inequalities in the city of Rio de Janeiro. In this sense, one can say that the current changes go toward something that might be called neoliberal modernization.