Artigos

The main purpose of this paper is to contribute to the debate over the relation between Rio de Janeiro’s favelas and formal city by questioning if, and to which extent, their lines of mutual connection mould the structure and accessibility of both the local and global networks. More specifically, the study applies space syntax segment angular analysis to shed new light on the role played within the city’s network by the entrances of favelas. By examining and discussing the outcomes of previous syntactical, historical and ethnographical analysis of Rio de Janeiro, the paper finally argues that entrances work as thresholds, gates, that filter the movement and structurally define an inside-outside distinction between favelas and the planned city.