Rio-City Program

Rio-City (Rio-Cidade) was an urban renewal program in the City of Rio de Janeiro in 1995/1996; a master plan for reconstruction of public areas, and improvement of urban standards. The image of the city needed to be restored from urban chaos. The project involved many districts troughout the city, including some of the most prominent Avenues and Plazas.

One of the primarily goals was to rearrange pedestrian and vehicle flows. Different sections of the sidewalks were set aside for placement of urban furniture. Those areas received different paving from the areas left for people to walk.

Historical Portuguese stone paving were restored. New illumination were added to enhance architectural details on buildings and for safety.

Trees were added in many plazas providing pedestrians with a more pleasant place to walk and protect against the hot sun. Busy intersections were painted to warn drivers to slow down.

The Project was considered a success by Rio de Janeiro's citizens, and by public and private sectors.