Claiming the Right to the City: Rethinking Urban Transformations in Brazil

Explores how Brazil’s urban planning and social movements work to realize the right to the city to offer lessons for inclusive and socially just urban development worldwide.

Claiming the Right to the City examines efforts to redefine urban planning in Brazil through the lens of social justice. Abigail Friendly analyzes the gap between the theoretical recognition of the right to the city—the freedom for all to occupy, govern, change, and enjoy urban spaces—and its practical implementation amid economic inequality and uneven access to resources.

Drawing on Brazil’s experience over the past forty years, Friendly highlights the role of urban social movements, participatory planning, and grassroots engagement in shaping inclusive urban transformations. She proposes a model that links institutional frameworks with bottom-up citizen involvement, offering practical insights into how the right to the city can be realized in practice. This book provides valuable lessons for scholars, planners, and policymakers seeking to advance socially just and inclusive urban development in cities worldwide.