Integrated Urban Upgrading for the Poor: The Experience of Ribeira Azul, Salvador, Brazil

This study looks at the experience of integrated urban upgrading in a low-income
neighborhood of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Infrastructure and social investments have been
made in the community through a government program, with community participation
playing a major role in the design and implementation. This approach is now perceived
to be highly successful in terms of its implementation and positive impact on living
conditions, and will provide the basis for a major state-wide program. This paper
analyzes the lessons learned from the experience, with implications for scaling up as well
as applications for other urban upgrading programs.