Research visit at the Cefavela, Federal University of ABC

Between 15–29 October 2025, Aleksandra Wojtaszek conducted a research visit at the Center for Favela Studies (Cefavela) at the Federal University of ABC in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil. She gained in-depth knowledge about urban policies in Brazil, the historical trajectories of the formation of favelas, and ongoing upgrading and adaptation projects. The program included field visits to Heliópolis (favela in the Sacomã district of São Paulo) and Sítio Joaninha in Diadema. Aleksandra also presented her research on informal settlements in Baghdad, receiving valuable feedback to inform the further development of her study.

CEFAVELA – Center for Favela Studies, based at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), is a Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center (CEPID) funded by FAPESP. It is dedicated to advancing research, training human resources, transferring technology, and disseminating knowledge about favelas to society, in collaboration with various institutions, movements, and organizations committed to the territorial agenda of these communities.

Through an interdisciplinary and multi-scale approach, CEFAVELA aims to generate, articulate, and disseminate knowledge to enhance understanding of the territorial dynamics of favelas, the mechanisms by which spatial inequalities are reproduced, and the limits and potential of urban policies and upgrading interventions.

https://cefavela.ufabc.edu.br/