ABSTRACT
The favelas of Rio de Janeiro have long been cartographically excluded, which reflects and contributes to their broader marginalization and neglect. This chapter discusses two initiatives that aim to counter this reality by including favelas in Google Maps and Street View. Keeping in mind that the meaning of maps is defined through ongoing practices of interpretation and usage, I argue that, within the context of generalized and commercial favela depictions, mapping projects offer new perspectives because they reconnect favela representations to physical locations in the city. At the same time, however, we must consider the commercialization of digital maps themselves, which often causes stereotypical narratives about Rio’s favelas to return in the framing, promotion and usage of these mapping projects.
