It is commonplace in Brazil that ‘favelas’ are a pervasive part of the urban landscape. Recently however, alternative, bottom-up models have emerged that slowly change this scenario.

Micro homes which integrate spaces of work and are well connected to the street economy seem to be far more viable on the longer run at all levels.

What looks like a city of aesthetic or economic contrasts may actually be a marker of the relation between urban space and individual agency.

This is the third weekly report on how Dharavi is coping with Covid-19. We concentrate on the food distribution effort initiated at community level.