ÁGUAS CLARAS
BRASILIA
Brazil
Águas Claras is Brasília’s flagship Transit‑Oriented Development (TOD), a planned high‑density satellite city built in the 1990s alongside the Brasília Metro to create a compact, mixed‑use urban centre. Designed as a new centrality 20 km west of the Plano Piloto, it concentrates housing, commerce, and services around four metro stations, functioning as a vertical, urban alternative to dormitory suburbs and earning the nickname “Brazilian Manhattan.”
The city covers 808 hectares with a dense grid of high‑rise residential towers and commercial centres served by the Metrô‑DF Green and Orange lines. Four stations, Arniqueiras, Águas Claras, Concessionárias, and Estrada Parque form the backbone of the development, flanked by parallel avenues and extensive green spaces, including the 403‑hectare Águas Claras Ecological Park. Today, it is home to over 160,000 residents and serves as a bustling hub of retail and services.
Future Cities criteria compliance
Environmental & Nature
As a transit-oriented development, the city promotes compact urbanism and lower car dependency by connecting residents directly to employment and services via high‑capacity transit. Although limited local employment still drives car commuting to central Brasília, the preservation of large green spaces and waterways reinforces its environmental design.
Smart City
Águas Claras relies on the modern Metrô‑DF system, which uses computerised operations, fibre‑optic communications, and centralised traffic control. Ongoing modernisation includes new signalling, control systems, and fleet expansion to support growing ridership, while digital mobility tools integrate the metro with Brasília’s wider transport network.
Human-Centric
Designed for liveability, Águas Claras offers diverse housing, walkable streets, and vibrant public spaces that foster a distinct, cosmopolitan atmosphere. While improvements in pedestrian‑transit integration are needed, its mix of nightlife, commerce, and parks provides a dynamic urban environment for its young professional population.
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