His administration demolished several buildings, many of which were low-income housing complexes, to make way for the expansion of roads and the construction of modern buildings modeled on Parisian architecture.   

pereira passos also imposed strict urban regulations which meant that the poor were displaced from the center of the city - It was Passos program that possibly gave origin to the still ingrained distinction between 'residents of the hills' and 'residents of the asphalt,' as the urbanization program implemented a new asphalt paving plan which only extended to formally planned and structured areas.

the mandate of Pereira Passos radically changed the profile of the city - His implementations resulted in a complete remodeling of important parts of the city, transforming rio de janeiro from a colonial city into a modern world-capital, earning for the first time the title of  cidade maravilhosa (Marvelous City).