Discussions will begin this week in the Rio Chamber on Complementary Law Project 92/2025, which creates the Area of Special Urban Interest (AEIU) Praça Onze Maravilha, a structuring plan that promises to reconfigure part of downtown Rio with interventions ranging from housing to changes in the urban design of the region. The proposal, one of the main demands sent by the city hall to the House, appears in ninth place on the agenda for this Tuesday (5) and will be analyzed in the first discussion.
The text aims to enable a broad urban redevelopment in the Praça Onze region, encompassing areas surrounding Marquês de Sapucaí, Pequena África, Estácio, and Cidade Nova.
One of the most symbolic and debated measures of the project is the demolition of the 31 de Março Elevated Highway. In its place, the city government is studying the implementation of a new road solution with underpasses and traffic reconfiguration connecting the South Zone and the central region. Currently, approximately 80 vehicles circulate daily through this section.
The proposal also relaxes urban planning rules to encourage the occupation of areas considered underutilized by the city government, expand the supply of housing, and attract private investment to the area surrounding the Sambadrome. The design follows a logic similar to that adopted in the Porto Maravilha project, with urban and economic instruments aimed at territorial requalification.
Among the planned interventions are the implementation of the Porto Park and the construction of the Library of Knowledge, a project designed by architect Francis Kéré, winner of the Pritzker Prize. One of the main features of the project, the library will cover more than 40 m² and will include pilotis, cobogós (decorative perforated bricks), hanging gardens, and a circular tower open to natural light.
The measure also includes the creation of the Boulevard do Samba, a large corridor next to the Sambadrome, along Avenida Presidente Vargas, and the production of new housing units. In the long term, the Executive promises the construction of 37,5 residential units over the next 25 years, with the expectation of attracting more than 100 residents.
The works are planned until 2032. The initial estimate from the city hall is an investment of approximately R$ 1,75 billion. The proposed model foresees a public-private partnership, with financing through the sale of public land that may emerge with the road reconfiguration and the opening of new urban areas.
The project, however, still raises questions among urban planners and city councilors. Among the points raised are the absence of conclusive traffic impact studies, doubts about the final cost of the intervention, and discussions about possible effects on the urban heritage and historical landscape of the region.
The PLC has been under consideration in the Chamber since the end of 2025 and has already been the subject of public hearings and technical meetings with representatives of the Rio de Janeiro Executive. The proposal, in fact, will return to the debate table this Wednesday (6), at 19 pm, when the Urban Affairs Committee will hold a new public hearing in the territory itself to hear residents and representatives of the region.
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