in the past, and to some extent still in the present, criminal activity has directly affected the level of urbanization of favelas -  for instance, some drug gangs controlled the supply of cooking gas tanks in the favela, and other services.

the introduction of the polícia pacificadora - upp has instantly allowed for improvements in urbanization, by allowing city and state programs to better operate, and by allowing the safe establishment of local businesses by residents.

in fact, the introduction of the upp is seen by many as the most important step ever towards the urbanization of rio's favelas.

in general, whether they started as settlements or as public housing projects, insuficiently infrastructured neighborhoods are broadly classified as favelas when lacking the basic urban services and infrastructure  such as transportation,  safety, appropriate sewage systems, gas, electric, and water distribution.