Corcoran 1

Matthew Corcoran

Dr. Lyn Freymiller

Rhetoric & Civic Life 1

5 October 2016

Reaching Out: Improving Cities One Step at a Time

Picture this: youre walking downtown in one of the largest cities in the world. While

roaming the city, it is normal to notice gorgeous architecture, an overwhelming number of places

to purchase food or basic necessities, and some form of health care service; it is equipped with

just about everything that civilians need to live a decent life. Suddenly, you enter a new section

of the city and come across areas that lack these essential elements for daily survival. Some

cities, however, are working to change this. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and El Paso, Texas are

implementing programs that make a case for allocating funds towards the wellness of those

suffering rather than the added entertainment of those who are much better off. These

organizations promote their community outreach by highlighting the credibility (ethos) of the

projects, placing emphasis on the commonplaces and basic ideologies, and finally, using a warm,

welcoming approach, in both their mission and visual elements, that encourage people to offer

ideas and improve the lives of others.

Rio+ is a community outreach program that is centered around giving the people of Rio

de Janeiro the opportunity to have their voice heard. They have the ability to submit any project

that they want, as long as it benefits the community as a whole in some way (Rodriques).

Following submission, each and every idea is evaluated by a board of authorities in Rio de

Janeiro. If they find an idea that may prove to be worth it, they will pass it on and attempt to
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organize plans and funding in order to make that idea a reality. While some may think that this

lacks efficiency, they are entirely incorrect. Although reviewing every received suggestion can be

a lengthy process, it allows the necessary individuals to make decisions on the behalf of the

betterment of the area. Benfeitoria (translates to Improvement) and Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido

(translates to Rio I love, Ill care) are the two parent companies of the project that review the

ideas and decide which projects will make it through to the development stage.

Benfeitoria, a crowd-funding social enterprise with a focus on community projects for

social benefit, is the mastermind behind the Rio+ campaign (Benfeitoria). They control the

website and basic campaign activities. Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido, an improvement organization

also located in Rio de Janeiro, focuses on urban conservation. Their purpose is to improve the

way of life in urban areas with wellness projects (Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido). Together, the two

effectively target pathos and prove how credible two organizations can make such a simple

project into an extremely beneficial social project.

Throughout El Paso, Texas, a new organization is implementing a new program that,

although not identical, is similar to Rio+. While individuals may not be able to submit their own

ideas, they are able to view and contact the organization with suggestions that may build off of

the current plans. This project, Plan El Paso, is one that is aimed at community improvement

throughout El Paso and surrounding areas. While there isnt a clearly defined leader or parent

organization, the local government willingly provides the necessary information for citizens to

find the information they need. According to the website, readers are given access to the basis

for El Pasos regulations and policies that guide its physical and economic development, as well

as a flexible framework that can be updated, revised, and improved upon over time (Plan El

Paso).
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Due to the fact that civilians are granted access to city plans, improvement projects, and

prospective diagrams, they always have the ability to review what is going on in their city and to

make comments if they feel that it is necessary to do so. The government giving access allows

outsiders to understand that the government cares and is credible in regards to encouraging social

participation.

In todays society, ideologies can apply to anything; everybody has a fantasy of their

ideal life, financial situation, job, etc. There is one commonplace, however, that should apply to

all people in all areas of the world: to create and maintain a wholesome community that meets

the needs of all of its people. Through Rio+, Benfeitoria and Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido have the

ability to stress this on a grand scale. In an article written by Mr. Igor Rodriquez, he asked a

simple question: What if a city could have its priorities and projects chosen directly by citizens,

without the risk of technical feasibility of those ideas? (Rodriques). The people of Rio de

Janeiro are able to fulfill Mr. Rodriques aspiration and express what they think is necessary for

progress, which brings the city one step closer towards drastic improvements in the lives of the

citizens. These ideas are submitted in categories that are broken down on the website, some of

which are sustainability, innovation, education, and mobility/transportation (Rio+).

Maintaining a happy, successful community is something that proves critical in regards to

the well-being and sustainability of human life. All people should have access to medical care,

some kind of shelter, a source of education, and the ability to feed not only themselves, but

family and friends as well. In an article from 2013 in Texas Monthly, Debbie Nathan wrote:

Plan El Paso was so extensive and cutting-edgewhat sets Plan El Paso apart is its citywide

level ambition (Nathan). The local government in El Paso places emphasis on sustainability,
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modernization, and civilian satisfaction, which are three key elements to a successful style of

living.

In a way, the concept of commonplaces and ideologies applies to logos, especially in this

scenario. Its more than logical to assume that people should want to be a part of a community

that is welcoming and meets the needs of its people. The webpage Numbeo, a program that

provides data pertaining to wellness in cities around the world, reports that Rio de Janeiro has an

overall quality of life of 55.45, which qualifies as low on the quality of life index (Quality of

Life). Despite the beauty that much of Rio de Janeiro has to offer, there are plenty of areas that

dont live up to the expectations. Certain areas of the tourist-laden Brazilian city are slums; the

quality of life in parts of the region is spectacularly low when compared to the heart of the city.

In modern society, El Paso ranks fairly high up on the list of best U.S. cities to live in for a high

quality of life, according to the El Paso Times magazine (Report). While El Paso has improved

drastically over the past few years, there is still much room for modernization and urban

development.

While giving information and limited authority to citizens are both ways to inspire

change, the organizations need to prove their demeanors and show that theyre dedicated to what

theyre preaching. Upon entering the Rio+ website, its obvious that the creators from

Benfeitoria put incredible effort into the site for their project. The page is overwhelmed with

bright and warm colors, in addition to the small visual features that attempt to promote creativity.

A beach ball, light bulb, and shaking hands demonstrate the need for a variety of ideas and the

cooperation and commitment that will be required to make those ideas happen throughout the

city (Rio+).
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The government in El Paso, while obviously dedicated, didnt place as much as emphasis

on the visual appeal of the site, which is perhaps one of the greater differences between Rio+ and

Plan El Paso. Nonetheless, the provided information is without a doubt pertinent to the situation

and allows civilians to have access to development and modernization plans. There are two

volumes of comprehensive plans, a complete set of diagrams, images, and illustrative plans, all

of which dictate the future of El Paso (Plan El Paso).

Based on the information and data presented to civilians, its not impossible to make a

connection in regards to the appeal to pathos. By viewing maps and images of what is

compared to what could be, people may feel that emotional tie to their hometown and want to

be involved in one way or another. The use of bright colors and personal, almost individualized

descriptions let people make suggestions and analyze concepts in a more thorough fashion. After

all, they want the best for their town, and will do what it takes to make it better for everyone.

There are certainly similarities between the two programs, which makes sense; Rio+ and

Plan El Paso share a common goal: improve the way of life in their respective cities. Although

theyre similar in implementation style and development fashion, the two are created and run on

vastly different scales. Rio de Janeiro boasts a population of roughly 6.5 million residents. El

Paso, however, supports a much more contained population of approximately 675,000 residents.

The high volume of civilians is the reason that Rio+ supports a much wider varies of

suggestions; the scheme of the city is so great that certain improvement projects seem much

smaller in comparison to one that would occur in El Paso.

In order for a community to thrive and be successful, there needs to be involvement.

Regardless of both the size and location, civilians need to work together to establish an

environment thats suitable for people to live. By implementing programs that promote creativity
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and all forms of achieving wellness, the cities of Rio de Janeiro and El Paso are making

impressive strides towards becoming powerful, developed areas. At the current rates of

involvement and participation, both of the cities are on track to become two of the most

wholesome, sustainable areas for a large population to live successfully. This is something that

should serve as a model for other cities; by preaching community enrichment and social benefit,

much of the world would become much greater for the establishment of a strong, supported

society.
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Works Cited

"Benfeitoria" ["Improvement"]. Benfeitoria, benfeitoria.com/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2016.

Nathan, Debbie. "The Best Laid Plan." Texas Monthly, Feb. 2013,

www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-best-laid-plan/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2016.

"The Plan." Plan El Paso, www.planelpaso.org/the-plan/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2016.

"Quality of Life in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil." Numbeo, www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/in/Rio-

De-Janeiro. Accessed 8 Oct. 2016.

"Report: El Paso Ranks No. 9 for Quality of Life." El Paso Times, 16 June 2016,

www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/el-paso/2016/06/16/report-el-paso-ranks-no-9-

quality-life/86008066/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2016.

"Rio+." Rio+, Benfeitoria, riomais.benfeitoria.com/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2016.

"Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido" ["Rio I love, I'll Care"]. Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido,

www.rioeuamoeucuido.com.br/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2016.

Rodriques, Igor. "Rio+: The Online Platform Enabling Citizens to Shape Their City." This Big

City, thisbigcity.net/rio-the-online-platform-enabling-citizens-to-shape-their-city/.

Accessed 28 Sept. 2016.