From Local Modifications in Selected Pilot Areas to System-Wide Improvements: Transformation Strategies and Retrofitting Procedures According to the Integrated Modification Methodology

In a complex adaptive system (CAS), minor changes can have a big, nonlinear impact on its performance. Based on that, the PolimiparaRocinha project is used to demonstrate how systemic local actions, integrated with the whole, can produce controlled chain reactions to improve performance at a wider scale. In fact, the presented local transformation actions not only change structurally the intervention zones, but also make tangible improvements in the performance of the whole Rocinha favela, seen as a CAS, even in parts that are not directly touched by the project. After explaining how the transformation strategy is defined on the basis of the Diagnostic phase of the IMM, the improvement actions are applied to some selected pilot areas of the favela. The Retrofitting phase is then presented, showing how it is possible, thanks to numeric indicators, to assess the advancement in the quality of life and environmental performances. The proposed modification reveals indeed the hidden links between the structure and performances of the system thanks to the use of a set of appropriate indicators. The local-based strategic plan adopted by the PolimiparaRocinha project, coordinating minimal and systemic modifications to improve the performances of the whole system, can then be replicated to other parts of the Rocinha favela and in other informal contexts, with the final goal of integrating them with the rest of their cities.