The “Rio Cidade Project” was the first urban revitalization project in Brazil that applied the principles of universal design in such extensive areas. The municipal government of Rio de Janeiro launched the project in 1994, incorporating the demand for accessibility issues put forward by the Independent Living Center of Rio de Janeiro (CVI-Rio), an NGO that had gained expertise in this field.
The main streets in 14 districts were initially chosen for reconstruction. A competition was held for architectural projects aimed at solving common neighborhood problems. This launched a rich experience of transforming a previously inaccessible city. During the project, CVI-Rio supervised the implementation of universal design through weekly meetings, daily visits to construction sites, and drafting reports to the City Government.
When the universal design process was launched in the Rio City Project, the goal was to focus on universal design with all users in mind, regardless of their physical abilities, based on estimates that over half of the population did not fit the standard stereotyped individual for which most infrastructures have been designed around the world. Based on this principle, universal solutions included ramps at crosswalks which serve all pedestrians, as well as more specialized solutions such as texture-coded footways to guide visually impaired road users. Street fixtures, such as lamp posts, sign posts, litter baskets, benches, etc., were repositioned and resized to meet requirements of universal design.
Rio Cidade Project had a limitation in that it was an adaptation of an existing city, not incorporating universal design into a city’s original architecture. Even so, the project has become a benchmark for universal design in Brazil, visited by professionals from other areas of the country. People with disabilities have begun moving to the city’s remodeled areas to live. However, no place that has been universally designed can be considered permanently accessible. External factors interfere constantly and must be monitored. The success of pro-universal design efforts thus depends directly on a commitment to maintenance, publicity, and monitoring.
Another example of urban development and universal design is the Program for Integration of Irregular Settlements in Uruguay funded by IDB. This neighborhood improvement project addressed the issue of universal design through the following components: (1) the widening of pavements; (2) the placing of curb ramps at strategic areas along pedestrian crossings; (3) the redesign of lighting systems along narrow pavements so that lamp-posts are not located at the center, which would obstruct pedestrian movement and make the use of wheelchairs impossible.
Source: Access Exchange International (2003); Albarez and Camisão (2005).
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