Uploaded on 2014-10-16 by IvanMK

[1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14134883229395988.jpeg 1) This photo is an extract from Botafogo, a neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Here we can see a juxtaposition that is very typical of Rio de Janeiro: the formal city side by side with a favela (slum). This one is called Santa Marta and it was the first one to get a UPP (Peacemaker Police Unit). It has improved a lot during the last two decades, though it still have a lot of urbanistic and social issues. The beautiful mansion with the palm trees is the official residence of Portugal's consul in Rio. To its left is a middle-class catholic school. And to the right of the tallest building in the photo (not visible) is the official residence of the city's mayor (though the current one does not live there). 2)The first invisible information I would like to point out is the traffic volume along the street in the photo. This photo was taken at 4 pm. So, no rush hour. That is why there is only one vehicle in the image. During rush hours, specially at dusk, traffic jams on this street are common. The second one is the constrast, regarding greenery, beetween the left and right halves of the image. On the left we have lower buildings and a hill with a great amount of vegetation (the presence of the slum is a whole other discussion). On the right, taller buildings and a denser urban space. 3) I wonder if the invisible information present in the green spaces in this image could be retrieved to help us understand the benefits of a urban planning and growth that considers the importance of vegetation and a balanced density. I believe that issues like health, productivity, climate, quality of life overall, they all have a strong tie to the way our cities relates with nature.