Paper short abstract:

The city of Afuá is build above the river Amazon on wooden structures, and no cars or motorcycles are allowed there. This paper aims to present this isolated Brazilian city and to explore what it can teach us about living in a different relationship with nature.

Paper long abstract:

Afuá is an unique city in Brazil. Often called "Marajó's Venice" or "Amsterdam of the Tropics", it could actually inspire the world with its different approach to nature and its changes.

Located in the biggest rainforest of the world, in the northwest of the Marajó Island and close to the mouth of the river Amazon, in full tropical weather, its connection to water is crucial: it is built on wooden structures about 1,5m from the muddy soil and the surrounding rivers. This happens because this is a flooded area, with daily variations of the river's tide, so the city is adapted to its context. On top of this structure, almost all houses are made from wood, as well as streets, buildings and public spaces, which skirt big trees and small rivers in the area. No cars or motorcycles could be supported by this wooden city and are forbidden there, so bicycles are the main means of transportation - and many bikes are adapted as taxis, ambulances, firemen, etc.

This is an idyllic scenario when we think about sustainability nowadays. However the city was not planned around sustainable ideas, so it deals with problems concerning trash management, uncontrolled urban growth and the use of natural resources such as the wood from the forest that builds the entire city itself.

This paper aims to present this isolated brazilian city and to explore the way its dwellers have found to coexist with nature and the challenges they may face in the near future.