Historical Cartography of Rio de Janeiro:

1

• Historical Cartography of Rio de Janeiro
• Spatial and Temporal Reconstitution of Downtown

Douglas Corbari Corrêa, DSc Brazilian Army
Geographic Service 5th DL douglascorbari_at_gmail.
com Paulo Márcio Leal de Menezes, DSc UFRJ
Geography Department pmenezes_at_unisys.com.br
2
Summary

• Introduction
• Cartography and Rio de Janeiro City
• Downtown Rio
• Methodological Procedures
• Conclusion

3
Introduction

• Past and Present streets of downtown
• Observation through the maps
• Center of the City of Rio de Janeiro
• transformations
• more then 400 years
• heart of the city
• maps from 1700 until 2000

4
Goals

• To build maps of comparison of historical maps of
  Downtown Rio dating from different and
  significant periods, considering the features
  corresponding to the streets and shoreline and
• To propose a methodology for registration of
  those maps in pairs, even when they do not have
  well defined scale, projection or coordinates.

5
Cartography and Rio de Janeiro City

• Old maps x historical maps
• Foundation of the city 1565
• Initial selection of maps
• Historical highlights
• Cartographical highlights

6
André Thevet Chart (1560)

• French contribution

7
Jacques de Vaulx Chart (1579)

• French contribution
• First plan of the city
• First economic and topographic map of Carioca
  land

8
Chart of Rio de Janeiro, by Luiz Teixeira (1586)

• First specialized Portugese chart of Guanabara
  region
• Beginning of the expansion of the city toward
  the meadow, between Castelo and São Bento hills.

9
Reys-Boeck Chart (1624)

• Dutch activity
• Expansion through the meadow among Castelo, São
  Bento, Conceição and Santo Antônio hills.

10
Albernaz I Chart (1626)

• Strong iconographic representation

11
Appearance of Rio de Janeiro, by Albernaz II
(1666)

• Incorrect geometry
• Ocupation of the city

12
Cartography and Rio de Janeiro City

• 18th Century
• Scientific mapping
• Astronomy and surveying
• Orthogonal projection

13

• Trench
• Orthogonal projection

Plan of the city of Rio de Janeiro, by Roscio
(1769)
14

• Influence of the arrival of the royal family.

Plan of the city, by order of the Regent Prince
(1812)
15

• Shadow techniques
• Geometric details

Map of Downtown Rio (1838)
16
Plan of Urban Improvements of Mayor Pereira
Passos (1906)

• Reform of Mayor Pereira Passos
• Central Avenue

17
Chart of Rio de Janeiro, by Military Geographic
Service (1922)

• Seven colours, contour lines
• Austrian Cartographic Mission
• Independence centenary

18
Topographic Chart, by DSG (1987)

• Legend, projection, coordinates, ...
• Expansion of the city

19
Ortophoto of Downtown Rio (East Side). Date of
flight 1999. Source IPP (2008).
20
Ortophoto of Downtown Rio (West Side). Date of
flight 1999. Source IPP (2008).
21
Downtown Rio

• The Center of Rio or Downtown Rio was not always
  where it is today
• Sugar Loaf/Cara de Cão Hill Carioca River
  Castelo Hill plain among the hills Castelo, São
  Bento, Conceição and Santo Antônio
• Anchorage proximity to water security/defense
• Center as a pole, which attracts political,
  social and economical activities.
• Description and delimitation of the center
  decree July 23rd 1981
• The Center of Rio went through many
  transformations in its landscape, involving
  construction and demolition over time

22
Downtown Rio (Centro) and Adjacent Neighborhoods
Gamboa
Santo Cristo
Saúde
CENTRO
Cidade Nova
Estácio
Glória
Catumbi
Santa Teresa
Source Adapted from IPP (2008)
23
Downtown Rio

• Construction / Demolition
• Dinamism
• Relief / Urban Network
• Reasons
• Air, hygiene, sanitary, esthetic, modernity,
  economical interests
• Examples
• Construction of Central Avenue (1905)
• Demolition of Castelo Hill (1922)
• Construction of Presidente Vargas Avenue (1944)

24
Demolition of Castelo Hill. Source Arquivo da
Cidade (2002)
25
Methodological Procedures
Flowchart of Stages
26
Methodological Procedures

• Resolution(dpi)
• 72, 96, 110, 300, 600
• Post-selection criteria
• Orthogonal projection
• Geometric shapes and relative positioning
• Streets and shoreline
• Scale compatibility
• 1769, 1838, 1906, 2000

27
Methodological Procedures

• Georeferencing
• Afine x Adjust
• Comparison of Maps
• Comparison in pairs between vectorial subsequent
  maps, from the most recent to the oldest one.
• Historical Sync
• Analysis

28
Synthesis Map 1906 x 2000
Streets_2000 ________ Streets_1906
________ Shoreline_2000 ________ Shoreline_1906
________
29
Synthesis Map 1838 x 1906
Streets_1906 ________ Streets_1838
________ Shoreline_1906 ________ Shoreline_1838
________
30
Synthesis Map 1769 x 1838
Streets_1838 ________ Streets_1769
________ Shoreline_1838 ________ Shoreline_1769
________
31
Conclusion

• Quality concerning resolution in scaning process
• Control points identification
• Vectorial digitalization
• French invasions, construction of fortifications,
  royal family in Brazil, construction of avenues,
  and demolition of Castelo Hill, ...
• Chalenges scale, coordinates system, projection,
  low resolution
• Synthesis Maps
• Spatial-temporal evolution can be reconstituted
• Planning policy
• Expasion of the urban network
• High density at Downtown
• Extension of shoreline, and, then, its stagnation