Site - GSD Cantinho do Céu Studio in São Paulo
Cantinho do Céu is a 150 ha city occupying one half of a peninsula at the Billings water reservoir about 30 km south of historic São Paulo. To its west, Cantinho do Céu is separated through a powerline corridor from Beira Mar, a similar sized favela (the Brazilian name for slum). Cantinho do Céu was founded around 1970 when developers illegally staked out land and sold the parcels to poor people who could not afford apartments in São Paulo. The city quickly grew and houses today around 70,000 out of the 1.5 million favela dwellers of São Paulo. Cantinho do Céu is densely populated. It is as crowded as Manhattan island, with the difference that Cantinho do Céu ’s inhabitants are housed in two to three story buildings. Cantinho do Céu has massive infrastructural problems. In many areas electricity and potable water is pirated; untreated sewage flows directly into the reservoir; the town has only three access points by road. With the exception of one large new school and several churches, other necessary infrastructure like hospitals, daycare centers, nursing homes and recreational amenities are non-existent. Public open space is reduced to narrow unpaved streets and unbuildable steep slopes. Like in many Brazilian favelas, security is compromised and drug trafficking is a common problem.
Despite all these predicaments, Cantinho do Céu is a lively city with commercial activities, bars and an energetic street life. Among the many favelas in São Paulo it is not the worst. Its layout is modestly effective (due to the “developers” parceling efforts) and some dwellers achieved already relative wealth (cars, garages and satellite dishes). With its scenic location along the lake, the city has great development potential. Its most valuable asset is a seven kilometer long waterfront with commanding views that is only partially accessible and not much used.