These analyzes could also be used to create ownership records, which could be managed and traded on a blockchain to avoid bureaucracy and reduce the cost of transferring title. We recognize that building such a system from 3D scans may raise data privacy concerns. If we are able to address these issues, residents of favelas could buy and sell properties more easily than on any official land registration system.
Better knowledge of the physical layout of favelas could also improve living conditions. Urban designers could use this data to decide where to install stairs or what structures to remove to let in more air, sun or light.
It should be remembered that most cities were born out of informality.
Obviously, the long-term solution to the most pressing problems the favela dwellers face is to tackle the social issues that led these settlements to be built in the first place. Each nation has its own challenges. Brazil needs to reduce social inequalities, Western Europe needs to rethink immigration from its former colonies, and nations around the world need to prepare for increased climate-related migration.