Cidade de Deus serves as the inspiration and case study for Cidade de Deus – City of God—a widely relevant study of the appropriation and customization of standardized mass housing over time. The once-notorious favela in Rio de Janeiro ; which grew out of a government-housing program ; is today a safe and vibrant neighborhood and a viable counter model to gated condominiums. This research-based design study by the Master of Advanced Studies in Urban Design program at the ETH Zurich unpacks the implications of Cidade de Deus’ hybrid environment ; as it exists today. What results is a model for improving mass housing programs using the ingenuity of informal practices—a model applicable not just in Brazil ; but world-wide.weiterlesen