Rio de Janeiro is the second-most-populous city in Brazil and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas with a metro population estimated at 11-13 million. The city boasts a diverse economy focusing on oil and gas, finance, and services, while leveraging on a variety of natural and cultural assets to draw in over 2 million tourists per year.
Through active prioritization of liveability initiatives, the city now ranks strongly for Liveability. For example, The Reviver Centro program established guidelines for urban and environmental rehabilitation, incentives for the conversion and conservation of existing buildings and the expansion of residential units – including low-income housing in urban areas.
Where the city struggles the most is investor attractiveness linked to a relatively low macroeconomic stability, ease of doing business, limited startup ecosystem and poor smart city adoption. Brazil has released a plan to spend nearly US$200 billion on infrastructure over the next four years with a focus on energy and transportation. With the right policy and financing mechanisms, this should help spur further development nation-wide.
