Urbis Brasiliae ou sobre cidades do Brasil : inserindo assentamentos urbanos do país em investigações configuracionais comparativas

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2006

RESUMO

A close look at city form-space studies and inquiries allow us to assure there was no step beyond historiographical and sociological narratives or spatial description of attributes in urban environments. We do not argue that discourses or categories are unsuitable: we just expose the absence of other fields which would contribute positively in urban analysis. This study explores the gap and examines in a very specific way how reading city processes through its configuration may help to foster actions and analysis on urban spaces. The sample is constituted by 44 Brazilian cities, selected according to demographical and heritage criteria. In order to investigate Brazilian urban performance worldwide, 120 world cities are considered, resulting in a total sample of 164 settlements. Through the configurational approach, aiming at revealing emerging attributes from the relationships among parts in a system, relational features in cities are investigated in order to understand how different layouts can define specific spatial types. The city here is evaluated according to its hierarchical structure, differenciated by its permeabilities or topological accessibility levels in urban settlements. The approach is conducted by the theoretical, methodological and technical apparatus of space syntax theory (or the theory of social logic of space), supported by the axial map representation. For the database construction, geocoded resources in a Geographic Information System were applied. By exploring topological and geometrical features in cities in the country, and taking into account configuration, we have asked whether or not it is possible to identify a type or a typical Brazilian city. We ask if a specific urban growth process in Brazil would have led to the production of a peculiar configurational pattern, by exploring four groups of variables: (1) form and distribution; (2) density and compactness; (3) topology; and (4) zoning and centralities. From the findings, three expressions repeatedly emerged: fragmentary space, patchwork and oasis in the labyrinth. What do they mean? Would there be a configurational type of city in Brazil?

ASSUNTO(S)

arquitetura e urbanismo urbanismo análise sintática do espaço planejamento urbano cidades brasileiras configuração e morfologia espacial

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

Documentos Relacionados