Against Inhospitable Urbanism. Deconstructing Porto Maravilha

Abstract

Our main subject here is to define the character of inhospitable urbanism, which has emerged in several places in contemporary times as a result of the deepening of neoliberal production of space. And also, to point out possibilities and forms of resistance to counteract it and deconstruct it through planned or unplanned actions and activities that may contribute to the rescue of urbanity, sociability, and the right to the city. Hence, we first identify its features, instruments, and mediations. Then, Rio de Janeiro's Porto Maravilha urban rehabilitation project is approached and taken as an object of reference to point out the characteristics and socio-spatial implications of this inhospitable urbanism and the role of neoliberalization in the dehumanization of social space. After drawing such a dystopic image of the capital's abstract space, a set of alternate transforming actions is presented, in particular those with the potential to counteract social space dehumanization, as guerrilla and tactical urbanism practices, which encompass a large ensemble of actions carried out in several cities around the world.