His research focuses on popular culture, public space and political economy in urban Latin America, particularly Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Managua, Nicaragua. For the last several years Dr. Freeman’s research has focused on the consequences of mega-events such as the World Cup and the Olympics for the urban poor in Rio de Janeiro, with a particular emphasis on the Police Pacification Unit program (UPP). He is currently researching the gentrification of Rio’s South Zone favelas. Dr. Freeman earned his PhD in geography from the University of California at Berkeley. He is Associate Editor of the Journal of Latin American Geography.