Scott Salmon
Scott Salmon is a geographer, city planner, and urbanist who writes about cities and contemporary urban issues – in Rio and internationally. A New Zealander by birth, he has lived and worked in cities across the globe. Now, after a long spell in New York City, he is at home in Rio de Janeiro. You can follow him on Twitter: @globalscotto.
Bolsonaro’s Bizarre Agency Appointments Ignite Brazil’s Culture Wars
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Directorships of public agencies have long been treated as patronage appointments in Brazil; one of the perks of attaining...
Instead of Favelas, Luxury Condos Could Soon Stand on Rio’s South Zone Hillsides
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Most people don’t have much cause to think about urban planning – until it fails, and city life descends...
Legal Dispute with Neighbor Closes “The Maze,” a Uniquely Carioca Destination
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Simultaneously operating as a Jazz bar, a Bed and Breakfast and a cultural center, The Maze, located in the...
Rio’s Famed Hotel Glória Faces Potential Demolition
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - One of the few remaining art deco jewels from Rio de Janeiro’s golden age, the Hotel Glória provided elegant...
Brazil’s Lottery Obsession: What are the Odds?
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Brazilians love to play the numbers. Whether it is the traditional (yet illegal) Jogo de Bicho, operating on city...
Rio’s War on the Poor: A Tale of Two Cities
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Residents of Rio de Janeiro – even observers abroad – could be forgiven for experiencing some cognitive dissonance lately....
A South American Brexit? What to Make of Brazil’s Threat to Leave Mercosur?
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Jair Bolsonaro has never been a fan of Mercosur, the ‘Southern Common Market,’ consistently maintaining it disadvantages Brazil’s productive...
Rio Seethes With Anger After Ágatha’s Senseless Death. Will its Governor Feel the Heat?
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - (Column) As I write, just a day after the death of eight-year-old Ágatha Félix, the city of Rio de...
Invasion of the Two-Wheelers! Yet Another Challenge for Congested Brazilian Cities?
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Suddenly, it seems, they are everywhere. Weaving against the flow of traffic; whizzing silently among unsuspecting pedestrians; occasionally clustered...
You Gotta Fight for Your Right To Party? Rio’s Wicked War on Baile Funk
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Many of Rio de Janeiro’s oldest favela communities have long been regarded as well-springs of popular cultural creativity –...
Rio’s Rapid Transit System is in Rapid Decline. What Happens Now?
Column By Scott Salmon
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - An improvement in Rio’s transportation infrastructure was perhaps the most positive legacy of the Rio 2016...
Brazil’s LGBTQ Challenge: Live and Let Live or Discriminate and Hate?
Column by Scott Salmon
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Last week’s vote by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) laid the foundation for landmark legislation which...
The President’s Gun Decree Will Only Make Brazil More Lethal
Column by Scott Salmon
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Brazil is a country plagued by endemic gun violence; shootings and firearm deaths are a daily...
Rio Really is a Marvelous City. Are we Taking That for Granted?
By Scott Salmon
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Rio de Janeiro is undeniably one of the world’s most naturally gifted places. Like just a few...