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| Instituto Polis | |
|---|---|
| Name | Instituto Polis |
| Type | Non-profit research institute |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Headquarters | São Paulo, Brazil |
| Focus | Urban policy, housing, urban planning, social inclusion |
Instituto Polis is a Brazilian non-profit research and advocacy institute focused on urban issues, housing rights, and public policy in Latin America. Founded in São Paulo in 1990, the institute engages with grassroots movements, municipal administrations, and international agencies to influence urban planning and social housing programs. Its work intersects with scholars, activists, and institutions across Brazil, Argentina, Chile, the United States, France, Germany, and multilateral bodies.
Instituto Polis was established in São Paulo amid the post-dictatorship transition that involved actors such as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Workers' Party (Brazil), Brazilian Democratic Movement (1980s), and social movements like the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Teto and Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra. Early collaborations included partnerships with Universidade de São Paulo, Fundação Getulio Vargas, and municipal offices of São Paulo (city). The institute contributed research that informed policies debated in the Constituent Assembly of 1987–1988 and subsequent municipal planning exercises linked to events like Earth Summit-era urban sustainability dialogues and programs inspired by Habitat II. Over decades Instituto Polis engaged with international organizations such as the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, World Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank, while interacting with civil society coalitions including Housing Rights Campaigns and networks aligned with International Council on Monuments and Sites principles.
The institute's stated mission emphasizes advocacy for the rights of urban residents through research, technical assistance, and public engagement tied to policy arenas involving the São Paulo City Council, Ministry of Cities (Brazil), and continental forums like the Union of South American Nations. Objectives include producing evidence to support legislative initiatives akin to the Statute of the City, advising municipal secretariats comparable to Secretaria Municipal de Habitação de São Paulo, and collaborating with academic centers such as Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro to shape curricula related to urbanism. It aims to empower groups connected to movements like Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens and legal actors in courts such as the Supreme Federal Court (Brazil) when housing rights are litigated.
Research outputs span policy briefs, technical reports, and books distributed through associations akin to Editora UNESP and academic journals comparable to Revista Brasileira de Estudos Urbanos. Topics include analyses of programs like Minha Casa, Minha Vida, evaluations of urban infrastructure projects funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, and case studies of informal settlements featured in comparative work with researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, London School of Economics, and Universidade de Coimbra. Publications have addressed legal frameworks such as the Statute of the City and municipal master plans discussed at events like World Urban Forum and conferences hosted by International Network for Urban Research and Action. The institute also contributes chapters to edited volumes alongside authors affiliated with Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and El Colegio de México.
Programs include technical assistance for community-led upgrading projects inspired by models from Medellín and Curitiba; participatory planning initiatives similar to those in Porto Alegre's participatory budget experiments; capacity-building workshops conducted with partners such as Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Ford Foundation; and monitoring projects evaluating investments channeled through funds comparable to the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). Projects have targeted neighborhoods influenced by transit corridors associated with Metropolitan São Paulo, resettlement cases connected to hydropower initiatives like those affecting communities near Itaipu Dam, and inclusion strategies aligned with programs launched by the Ministry of Social Development (Brazil).
The institute's governance comprises a board and an executive team that coordinate research units and field offices modeled after organizational frameworks seen in institutions like Observatorio de Metropolis and Habitat International Coalition. Staff roles include urban planners trained at Universidade de São Paulo, lawyers educated at University of Brasília, sociologists from Federal University of Minas Gerais, and communications specialists experienced with networks such as Rede Social de Justiça e Direitos Humanos. Advisory councils have included representatives from municipal agencies, academic institutions like Universidade Estadual de Campinas, and movement leaders affiliated with Central Única dos Trabalhadores.
Funding sources encompass philanthropic foundations similar to Open Society Foundations, project grants from multilateral lenders like the Inter-American Development Bank, and collaborative contracts with municipal secretariats such as the São Paulo Municipal Secretariat of Urban Development. The institute has partnered with international universities including Columbia University and University of Barcelona, non-governmental organizations like Habitat for Humanity and World Resources Institute, and regional networks such as Rede Nossa São Paulo. It has received competitive grants from research councils analogous to National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and coordinated funded studies with groups like Latin American Social Sciences Institute.
Instituto Polis has influenced urban legislation comparable to reforms around the Statute of the City, informed planning processes in municipalities like São Paulo (city), and supported litigation impacting rulings in forums such as the Supreme Federal Court (Brazil). Its work has been cited in reports by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and discussed at assemblies like the World Urban Forum. Awards and recognitions include honors from civic coalitions similar to Rede Nossa São Paulo and mentions in academic citations alongside scholars from University of Buenos Aires and Universidad de Chile. The institute remains a node connecting social movements, academic research, and public agencies in Latin American urban debates.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Brazil Category:Urban studies and planning organizations