Luiz Carlos Teixeira Coelho

Purpose: This study evaluates the reliability of three-dimensional (3D) facial measurements obtained from different acquisition technologies. Specifically, it investigates whether low-cost smartphone-based photogrammetry and videogrammetry can produce measurements comparable to those derived from structured light scanning, and identifies sources of variability associated with each modality. Methods: Fifteen participants were imaged using three techniques: structured light scanning, smartphone photogrammetry, and smartphone videogrammetry. Inter-landmark distances were computed for each resulting 3D model, including both stable anatomical landmarks and those prone to placement difficulty. A statistical workflow was applied, incorporating non-parametric hypothesis testing, iterative outlier detection, and normality assessments to evaluate measurement variability attributable to acquisition modality, subject movement, and landmark uncertainty. Results: The three acquisition modalities produced broadly comparable inter-landmark measurements, indicating no substantial loss of accuracy when using smartphone-based methods. However, increased variability was observed in anatomically complex regions, particularly the perioral area, as well as in landmarks known to be difficult to localize. These discrepancies persisted across all modalities, including structured light scanning. Conclusions: Smartphone-based photogrammetry and videogrammetry represent viable, low-cost alternatives to structured light scanning for 3D facial measurement. Nonetheless, landmark-specific uncertainty remains a critical factor, particularly in challenging anatomical regions. The findings highlight the importance of considering both acquisition modality and landmark reliability in the design and reporting of facial anthropometric studies.

In Brazil, approximately 16.4 million people (8.1% of the population) live in informal settlements (favelas), with Rio de Janeiro among the most heavily affected. This situation results from rapid rural–urban migration and unplanned urbanization, leading to persistent land tenure conflicts, exemplified by the decades-long struggle in the Santa Luzia favela. This study demonstrates how participatory geospatial methodologies can support land regularization while preventing displacement. Unlike conventional participatory mapping studies that often prioritize community empowerment over technical precision or, conversely, state-led cadastres that prioritize accuracy over local participation, this study integrates two complementary frameworks: counter-cartographies (to redress power asymmetries) and fit-for-purpose land administration (to ensure minimal technical standards for tenure security). Through a university–community collaboration, a low-cost cadastral survey of Santa Luzia was conducted using remotely piloted aircraft photogrammetry to generate high-resolution orthoimagery (2 cm ground sample distance), GIS vectorization integrated with resident interviews and local knowledge, and spatial analysis compliant with local technical standards. The findings demonstrate three specific innovations: (1) methodological: volunteer students and community residents co-produced cartography achieving 2 cm precision, meeting legal requirements for land regularization without expensive professional surveys; (2) participatory: unlike purely community-led mapping that may lack legal enforceability or top-down systems that exclude local knowledge, this model embeds participatory data collection within Brazil’s Social Interest Regularization (REURB-S) framework, ensuring both grassroots legitimacy and state recognition; and (3) policy-making: the project operationalizes counter-cartographies not as symbolic resistance but as a legally compliant pathway to tenure security, offering a transferable model for democratizing land administration in informal settlements while challenging exclusionary urban planning.

The paper begins with the metaphor of the City of God, originating from the thought of St. Augustine, interpreted through the lens of Henri Lefebvre's concept of the “Right to the City” in his 1968 book Le Droit à la ville —a fundamental theoretical framework for contemporary urban planning studies—that argues cities should be shaped by inhabitants’ collective needs rather than market forces or elite control. Furthermore, the paper proposes reading liturgical space as a prefiguration of the City of God, transforming it into a place of inclusion, prioritizing a horizontal, de-hierarchized liturgy with free access and movement. By combining the languages of urban planning and liturgy, the study seeks to construct a renewed theology of liturgical space, free from unnecessary and exclusionary symbolism, ensuring the right to free belonging and free circulation.

À medida que a geoinformação se digitaliza e a atuação estatal na produção de dados geoespaciais diminui, a responsabilidade pela geração de mapas e de sistemas de informação geográfica recai majoritariamente sobre a iniciativa privada, mediante contratos. Tal cenário impõe grandes desafios à fiscalização e aos órgãos de controle. Este artigo tem como objetivo central analisar as principais normas brasileiras de controle de qualidade referentes à aquisição e à disponibilização de dados geoespaciais, para delas extrair critérios objetivos que possam ser utilizados na fiscalização de contratos e na aplicação da geoinformação na gestão pública. Como objetivo secundário, busca-se apresentar casos práticos de aplicação dessas normas e orientações para auditores e fiscais, por meio de experimentos de fácil replicação por servidores públicos. A pesquisa adotou metodologia documental e aplicada, com propósito explicativo e abordagem qualitativa. Os resultados demonstraram variações relevantes na adequação dos produtos geoespaciais adquiridos pelo poder público e reforçaram a necessidade de observância das normas, para melhorar a qualidade dos dados geoespaciais utilizados na tomada de decisão, na elaboração de contrato e na fiscalização de serviço especializado que gera e dissemina geoinformação. Portanto, a contribuição do estudo não se destina a especialistas, mas dirige-se, sobretudo, a usuários e gestores públicos envolvidos em atividades de fiscalização e auditoria.

Rio de Janeiro’s favelas house over 20% of the city’s population in just 5% of its territory, with Rio das Pedras emerging as a critical case study: ranking as Brazil’s fifth most populous favela and its most vertically intensified. This study quantifies how uncontrolled vertical growth in informal settlements disrupts microclimate dynamics, directly impacting thermal comfort. Using high-resolution geospatial analytics, we integrated digital surface models (DSMs) derived from LiDAR and photogrammetric data (2013, 2019, and 2024) with microclimatic simulations to assess urban morphology changes and their thermal effects. A spatiotemporal cadastral analysis tracked vertical expansion (new floors) and demolition patterns, while ENVI-met simulations mapped air temperature anomalies across decadal scenarios. Results reveal two key findings: (1) rapid, unregulated construction has significantly altered local airflow and surface energy balance, exacerbating the urban heat island (UHI) effect; (2) microclimatic simulations consistently recorded elevated temperatures, with the most pronounced impacts in densely built zones. These findings underscore the need for public policies to mitigate such negative effects observed in informal settlement areas.

Estudar os incêndios florestais é fundamental para compreender os fatores que influenciam sua ocorrência, permitindo um monitoramento eficaz e a mitigação de seus impactos ambientais. O presente estudo teve como objetivo principal monitorar a variação de temperatura de superfície terrestre em uma região do bioma Amazônia, mais especificamente no município de Porto Velho, para os anos de 2015 e 2018. Os objetivos secundários foram: cálculo de índices espectrais e temperatura de superfície, identificação das classes de mapas de uso e ocupação do solo e por fim, quantificação das áreas nos mapas sínteses de uso e ocupação do solo e de temperatura de superfície. Para concluir, os resultados das análises dos mapas temáticos e mapas de índices mostraram que áreas urbanizadas e de solo exposto apresentaram temperatura mais elevada que as demais classes, indicando uma correlação entre a temperatura e o uso do solo. Além disso, o índice diferenciado de queima por razão normalizada (dNBR) obteve o melhor desempenho na identificação de áreas queimadas. Em suma, a degradação ambiental e a presença de superfícies com asfalto também contribuíram para o aumento da temperatura do solo.

This study presents an initial evaluation of the heuristic landslide susceptibility map for the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro by comparing it with the official landslide inventory. The objective is to provide a first analysis of the accuracy of the current map (Reference Map), which was developed using heuristic methods, in contrast with a basic predictive model based on Generalized Additive Models (GAMs). The study includes a critical review of the existing inventory and examines landslide records from 2010 to 2016, using georeferenced data provided by the GeoRio Foundation. Data from 2017 and 2018 are used for a preliminary test of the model. Rather than proposing a replacement, this study suggests that even simple data-driven models can offer useful insights into potential improvements in the reference susceptibility map. The results are exploratory and intended to inform future, more detailed analyses. While limited in scope, this work illustrates how quantitative approaches may complement existing methods in landslide prediction assessment.

Editorial do volume 13, número 3.

Contemporary metropolises, particularly those in the Global South, grapple with the complex challenge of balancing urban development with environmental conservation. In such contexts, forest remnants often face constant threats from illegal urban encroachment and insufficiently defined boundaries, which undermine conservation efforts and hinder effective legal enforcement. This study explores cost-efficient, geographic-information-technology-driven solutions to improve the management of conservation units and incorporate them into cities’ multipurpose land cadastres. By employing tools such as a remotely piloted aircraft, total stations, and GNSS receivers, this work highlights the pivotal role of geotechnologies in safeguarding the urban natural heritage. These technologies not only address the pressures of urban expansion but also enable continuous monitoring and impact assessment through geographical information systems (GISs). To illustrate these applications, this study examines a case study from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Darke de Mattos Municipal Park, to demonstrate how accurate geographic data can significantly enhance planning and management efforts while maintaining cost-effectiveness.