By Quintino Gomes Freire – Diário do Rio

Rio City Council approves the Praça Onze Maravilha project, which includes new housing, urban revitalization, changes to the Sambadrome, green areas, and R$ 1.75 billion in investments in the central region

The Rio City Council approved, this Wednesday (05/27), by 35 votes to 3, Complementary Bill 92/2025, which authorizes the Rio City Hall to implement the Praça Onze Maravilha Special Urban Interest Area (AEIU). The proposal creates an urban revitalization plan for one of the city’s most symbolic areas, impacting the surroundings of the Sambadrome, Estácio, Cidade Nova, Catumbi, Cruz Vermelha, and nearby regions.

The project was approved after four technical meetings and two public hearings with residents, specialists, samba representatives, and civil society organizations. A total of 180 amendments were presented. Around 60 were incorporated into the final text.

One of the main changes provides for an agreement with the State Government for the completion of metro lot 29, with the creation of the Catumbi and Praça da Cruz Vermelha stations on Line 2.

Investments
Among the main interventions planned for Praça Onze Maravilha are the demolition of the 31 de Março Elevated Highway, the creation of the Boulevard do Samba, traffic reorganization, the construction of new housing, the revitalization of the Sambadrome as a multi-purpose leisure space, and the implementation of facilities such as Parque do Porto and the Library of Knowledge.

The forecast is that, over the next 25 years, more than 37,000 housing units will be built in the region. The estimated investment is around R$ 1.75 billion.

To attract private sector resources, the project allows construction companies and investors to receive authorization to build larger developments or use more advantageous urban planning parameters upon payment of urban compensation fees. These amounts must be reinvested in the Praça Onze Maravilha area itself, focusing on infrastructure, public spaces, and urban interventions.

The proposal also authorizes the transfer of construction potential to other regions of the city, such as Copacabana, Ipanema, Lagoa, Botafogo, Tijuca, and areas of the North Zone, for up to 10 years. The text also allows the use of public land, concessions, future tax incentives, public-private partnerships, real estate funds, urban concessions, and agreements with other public entities.

Active listening
The processing of the project involved a public consultation process conducted by the Rio City Council. Four technical meetings were held with City Hall representatives, along with two public hearings — one of them in the territory directly affected by the interventions — and a seminar with specialists, residents, business owners, and organizations linked to Carnival.

During the meetings, residents expressed concerns regarding affordable housing, land regularization, urban mobility, cultural preservation, infrastructure, and the permanence of families in the region. Part of these demands was incorporated into the text through amendments approved by the city council members.