Niterói launches digital tools for urban licensing and rights reporting

The city of Niterói, located in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, has introduced two new digital platforms to improve municipal services and human rights protections.

To streamline urban and environmental licensing, the city launched LUSIA, a platform that utilizes artificial intelligence to assist in document analysis. The system centralizes over 30 services, including requests for new constructions, legalizations, and technical responsibility changes. LUSIA features a chatbot for user guidance and a map module for territorial information, aiming to reduce bureaucracy and increase transparency.

Additionally, the municipal government established a digital channel for reporting LGBTphobia and religious intolerance. Managed by the Coordination for the Defense of Diffuse Rights and Combating Religious Intolerance (Codir), the tool is designed to map occurrences, reduce underreporting, and provide victims with access to multidisciplinary support and social assistance networks. The channel covers physical and verbal aggression, threats, and discrimination in workplaces, schools, or religious spaces, though officials noted it does not replace formal police reports.