Participatory Mapping as a Tool for Social Justice and Mobilization in Brazilian Informal Settlements

Participatory mapping’s main aim is to represent the community’s voice. It stimulates a powerful social mobilization that provides support for better and more efficient urban policies and social inclusion of marginalized populations, especially in Global South countries, such as Brazil. Our main urban challenges, such as poverty, inequality, and social injustice, are aggravated by climate change. The marginalized populations are often excluded from the decision-making process for planning our cities, which creates a mismatch between urban planning and the real demands of citizens. This article assesses how participatory mapping in informal settlements in Brazil can help to collect data from citizens that can make a difference in better local urban planning through prioritizing their demands and bringing to light their real concerns. Also, this article seeks to show how participatory mapping can provide products that improve communication between stakeholders and society reinforcing the need for urban planning improvements. Three case studies are presented, developed in São Paulo and Guarulhos informal settlements, with citizens’ perceptions about their urban life conditions, highlighting inequalities such as environmental racism, gendered perspectives, and social injustice, as well as potential solutions and specific areas for interventions. The three study cases provided citizens a space to speak and to be heard, to identify problems and concerns in a deprived environment through community mapping and look for solutions and alternatives for better urban scenarios together. Also, this article highlights the importance of the development of an urban agenda, putting the periphery in the center of the decision-making process through participatory mapping and communication products development.