Up-“Routing” Communities: Subaltern Voices Challenge Sustainable Urban Renewal in Fortaleza, Brazil

Passed in 2001, Brazil’s Estatuto da Cidade (City Statute) requires municipalities to recognize the social value of space in addition to its economic value and has been hailed as a major protection for residents of informal settlements. As Brazil was thrust onto a global stage as host to the World Cup of Soccer and 2016 Summer Olympics, how are local government city officials balancing economic and social use amidst major urban renewal processes? Drawing upon voices of informal settlement residents in Fortaleza, Brazil, we examine the impact of transportation infrastructure upgrades on informal settlements. We find that despite the right to the city espoused in the Estatuto da Cidade, residents in informal settlements continue to be socially and physically marginalized. We examine why social use protections are not halting the displacement of informal settlements and discuss emerging landscapes of local activism resulting from this contradiction.