A project from the Pereira Passos Institute, by Rio’s Secretary of Culture and the NGO Rede Carioca de Rodas de Samba, is trying to measure how many there are, how many people attend and how much money is generated by one of Rio’s main cultural heritage activities: samba groups. An in-depth study has led to the launch of a platform three weeks ago that aims to map them in the city.

Project Site (click “#MapaParticipativoRodas”, then “Explorar o Mapa”)

“Those who get around the city, and who like the samba groups know that these events take place seven days a week, throughout the year. Unlike Carnival, which is seasonal, the samba groups come together all the time. We wanted to understand where the groups are, what their potential and demands are,” explained geographer João Grand Júnior, one of the creators of the system and a student of the subject.

The…