Porous City

Abstract

Despite its famous image as a divided city – of wealthy high-rises and the surrounding, poverty-stricken favelas – Rio de Janeiro’s culture has been shaped by porous boundaries and multi-ethnic encounters. This book offers a groundbreaking perspective on Rio de Janeiro that focuses on the Cidade Nova (New City), one of the most compelling spaces in the history of modern cities. Once known as both a ‘Little Africa’ and as a ‘Jewish Neighborhood,’ the New City was an important reference for prominent writers, artists, pioneering social scientists and foreign visitors. It played a crucial role in foundational narratives of Brazil as ‘the country of carnival’ and as a ‘racial democracy.’ Going back to the neighborhood’s creation by royal decree in 1811, this study sheds light on how initially marginalized practices –like samba music– became emblematic of national identity. A critical crossroads of Rio, the New City was largely razed for the construction of a monumental avenue during World War II. Popular musicians protested, but ‘progress’ in the automobile age had a price. Drawing on a broad range of historical, theoretical and literary sources, Porous City rethinks Rio de Janeiro’s role in the making of Brazil, as well as its significance to key global debates about modernity, urban planning and cultural practices.

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