The government initiative, Projeto Rio, which began in 1982, was the first major housing intervention in the community, aimed at replacing precarious stilted residences with large housing estates on landfill in guanabara bay. The name, meaning 'Tide', refers to the high tides that have historically and continually caused serious problems for residents, bringing snakes, rats, mud, diseases, and severely damaging precariously built edifices and shacks.

The roads and pathways of the community are narrow and winding, and often lead to dead ends, but endow the community with a unique and eccentric layout. There are a number of stores, fruit and produce markets, health centers, police stations and schools, and each community has its own personality and characteristics which provide the Maré neighborhood with a rich and diverse cultural tapestry.