Alagados - The Story of Integrated Slum Upgrading in Salvador (Bahia), Brazil

(A vez dos Alagados: A construção de um programa integrado de urbanização de favela em Salvador)

This publication tells the story of the slum upgrading project supported by the Cities Alliance with the State Government of Bahia (Brazil), from 2001 to 2006 and tries to capture the lessons learned.

The Bahia Project was one of the first activities undertaken by the Cities Alliance, following its formation in 1999. A broad coalition of partners were mobilised in the area of Alagados, a well-known slum in the Brazilian city of Salvador: The State of Bahia, the Cities Alliance, the World Bank, the Government of Italy, AVSI (an international development NGO) and more then 70 local community based associations.

To make a real difference in the lives of the slum dwellers, a participatory and integrated approach was used. Through the project, process of upscalling was successfully set in motion.