Brazilians are obsessed with cleanliness, but they're not so big on doing the dirty work themselves – Brazil has more domestic workers than anywhere else in the world. Once an unregulated industry, a new law has given its 7.2 million workers rights. And services are popping up to help organise the help.

In the past five years, 210,000 people in São Paulo swapped their houses for flats. The idea of buying into an estate is increasingly appealing to people across backgrounds, ages and classes, but why are they choosing to make their homes in condos rather than traditional houses?

Brazil is home to 21 of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world, and as trust in the government diminishes, citizens are rallying around the #VemPraRua movement in a bid to reclaim public spaces. How is social media enabling urbanites to shed their fears and embrace their communities?

It’s widely assumed that pragmatic elements, like a strong job or housing market, attract people to cities – but new studies show that vibrant cultural offerings, from galleries to club nights, are the real draw. How are lesser-known cities using creative clout to attract and retain residents?