CocotáLandfill

Image description: This is a photograph of a park called Parque Manoel Bandeira, taken in 1980. On the left side, we see residential buildings with red and white façades. In the background, there is a hill covered with trees. In the center, there is an open area with golden-colored ground. On the right, the sky is clear with a few clouds. At the bottom of the image, it reads "COCOTÁ 1980 - PARQUE MANOEL BANDEIRA".

The history of Aterro do Cocotá, our neighborhood, will be briefly covered by me. Parque Poeta Manuel Bandeira, popularly known as Aterro do Cocotá, had unpolluted beaches with bathers back in the 70s. Today, it is one of the largest leisure areas in Ilha do Governador, with multi-sport courts, parking lots, skate and roller-skating tracks, and the Areninha Carioca Renato Russo, a cultural venue for theater and music that has even hosted stand-up comedians. Until 1970, it was called "Saco de Olaria."

Since the late 1950s, projects to fill in the cove had been proposed, but it was only in 1975 that some works began in the surrounding area aimed at urbanization. In 1978, Aterro do Cocotá took on the shape we know today, spanning 110,000 square meters, and became a leisure area for children and adults. Years later, the premises gained a Detran unit, a UPA, and a Forum. There was also the relocation of the Waterway Terminal, which came from Ribeira and was installed on the beach, which was left hidden. There is a bust honoring the Poet Manuel Bandeira, whose name was given to the leisure area's territory, which was inaugurated in 2011.

Image description: This is a photograph of an urban area with a large favela in the foreground. The favela is located in the background of the image, occupying a steep hillside. In the lower part of the image, there is a park with scattered trees and a blue skatepark. On the right, there is a soccer field surrounded by a metal fence. In the center, there is a square with paved paths and trees. On the left, there is a colorful carousel structure. The sky is blue with a few scattered clouds.