published by the Secretaria Municipal de Urbanismo Instituto Municipal de Urbanismo Pereira Passos, the study O efeito da presença governamental sobre a expansão horizontal das favelas do Rio de Janeiro: os Pouso's e o Programa Favela-Bairro  (The effect of government presence on the horizontal expansion of the favelas of Rio de Janeiro: the Pouso's and the Favela-Bairro Program) by Adriana Vial and Fernando Cavallieri analyzes the  growth of favelas in metropolitan rio. Special attention is awarded to the communities in the favela-bairro program and by post-urbanization programs such as the 'pousos'.

The Pousos were created in the Housing Department (Secretaria de Habitação) in November 1996 and transferred to the Department of Urbanism (Secretaria de Urbanismo) in July 2003. they are typically employed to assist in the development of urbanized districts and are involved in the development and monitoring of legislation, promotion, planning, license works and the management of supplies for growth areas.