Thecity'sfactorydistrict

The installation of factories in the Maré area peaked in the 1940s and 1950s. This industrial history can still be seen today, with the Refinaria de Manguinhos, opened in 1954, and Aires Metalúrgica, at the foot of Morro do Timbau.

Image description: This is a photograph of an urban area with a variety of buildings. From the background to the foreground, we see mountains covered in vegetation under a clear blue sky. On the left, there is a large industrial building with the sign "AIRES METALURGICA" in red. Also on the left are several colorful houses, predominantly in shades of blue and beige, arranged on a hillside. In the center, there is a structure with a red tile roof and blue walls, where people are sitting and walking. On the right, smaller and less colorful buildings are visible.

During this period, many migrants arrived in Rio after crossing long distances, crammed into the famous trucks known as “paus de arara,” which traveled the highways and emptied out onto Avenida Brasil, built precisely during this period. Another way these migrants arrived was aboard the Ita — as the steamships belonging to the Companhia Nacional de Navegação Costeira were called —, coming from the north of the country. Since the end of the 19th century, the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro had been undergoing a process of industrial settlement: neighborhoods such as Gávea, Jardim Botânico, Bangu, and Del Castilho received large factories, which set up in these areas in search of land near water sources and labor.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing a transportation scene in a rural setting. In the central part of the image, there is a heavily loaded truck with sacks and other objects. People are positioned in different spots: some are unloading items from the truck, while others are on top of it. In the background, there is a hill covered with vegetation. On the right, three men are talking and looking at the truck. Behind them, more people are walking. The road is made of dirt, and the sky is overcast.

However, the dispersed installation of these factories throughout the city became a problem for the flow of raw materials, the supply of energy, and the distribution of production. One proposed solution was to centralize industry in a single area. This proposal was put forward by the French urban planner Alfred Agache in 1930, on the occasion of the drafting of the plan Cidade do Rio de Janeiro Remodelamento, Extensão e Embelezamento — known as the Plano Agache.

In the plan, part of the city's northern waterfront would be filled in and designated for the Industrial District, located in parts of what is now Maré's territory. Taking advantage of the port's proximity, along with the railroads and highways under construction passing through, the idea was to facilitate the transport of goods to all regions. The working-class neighborhoods in the area would supply the necessary labor force.