De repente, tudo mudou de lugar: refletindo sobre metamorfose urbana e gentrificação em Mossoró-RN

This study aims at solidifying the theoretical bases to provide, above all, an explanation for this phenomenon which currently happens, with a scenario of social, political, economic and cultural transformations worldwide in medium cities. Nevertheless, because it has different dimensions from its transformation axes, gentrification comes with change, but also with the introduction of a new purpose in the space using and occupation, outlining in this context the identity of places from the formation of centralities with the presence of flows with social and economic dynamicsThe current forms of geographic space appropriation show the directions of the senses and ideological profile which recreates the meanings and uses of content and materials from descriptions of a historical past. However, today there is an economic context in the urban space which refers to a search of strategies for change, i.e., the acquisition of parameter aimed at meeting the demands of the relationship between capital and labor, which ends up overriding some actions for the specification of the transformation methods within the urban space to be explained by new needs and also by the agents from the value adding to their interests and investments. Thus, we assume that the appreciation/gentrification of urban spaces may or may not result from the building of a public space, since the dialogic structure as a place of political interaction externalize conflicts and disagreements in general; it keeps segregating spaces. As new spaces are transformed, the access to them tends to happen with particular restriction, whereas some places like parks, shopping malls, high-rise and horizontal condos are the scene for major professional and family events. In this context, the gentrification process is used to designate interventions in the urban environment, in certain city spaces which are considered central to public and private investments. A historical place is permitted to be presented as a scenario, a stage full of attractions, through the transformation process. Studying gentrification consists of an analysis of the underlying interests in the transformation of these areas, and especially of the assessment of the interest level in the private sector to partner in order to modify the landscape. Gentrification results from the transformation processes of capital, which influences the efforts and investments application in order to establish and achieve optimal economic growth, focusing on a location socio-culturally centered in the urban space. Thus, the urban social structure develops in the light of some questions that relate not only the cities growth but also environmental conditions it provides in cities like Mossoro, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil 2005 a 2011.

Uma cidade para pessoas: funcionalidade, racionalidade e emotividade nas relações mobiliário urbano, espaço público e cidadãos

This research investigates how functionality, rationality, and emotionality applied to urban furniture design contribute to the organization, legibility, and qualification of public spaces, according to different layouts, physical and visual qualities of the urban furniture as well as the quality of urban infrastructure that may influence the uses and appropriation of urban spaces by pedestrians, turning those spaces into socially centripetal or centrifugal places. The work consists of two parts. First refers to a bibliographical review concerning two main issues of the investigation: product design and legibility of public space, defining the conceptual and theoretical bases, linked to methodological strategies aimed at systemic planning and integrated management of urban furniture design and legibility of public spaces (sidewalks), that are necessary to define the existing relationships among the user s interface (pedestrians); product (urban artifacts); built environment (sidewalks). The second part refers to the achievement of empirical approach throughout visual analysis of public spaces and the functional and qualitative evaluation of the existing urban furniture in the central neighborhood of Cidade Alta, Natal, RN, according to the theoretical researched concepts and methodological procedures. The results expose the weaknesses and levels of intensity arising from the relations among public space, urban furniture, and users, revealing the need for theoretical and practical approaches which would help the decision-making in planning, designing and integrating innovative, sustainable, and ethical solutions in order to design attractive public spaces that could provide sociability and citizenship throughout integrated public management, city systemic thinking and urban identity. The suggested guidelines at the end of this research will provide the necessary strategies to design suitable urban furniture systems according to aesthetic and practical urban infrastructure and city context, aiming to ease visual and physical conflicts that may negatively interfere with the appropriation of public spaces by the citizens

Arquitetura da (in)segurança: estudando relações entre configuração espacial, artifícios de segurança e violência urbana no bairro Manaíra, João Pessoa, Paraíba

João Pessoa, the capital city of the state of Paraíba (Northeast Brazil), is reputed throughout the country as a quiet place, although it has been acquiring, over the past years, an urban character with social implications similar to those of major metropolitan Brazilian areas. The new situation is evident by the social inequalities, with the creation of confined spaces, which segregate and cause enclosure of the inhabitants, leading to death the public space. This study correlates accessibility in spatial structure with two types of crime data, burglary and robbery, recorded in 2008 and 2009, by the Secretaria de Segurança da Paraíba (The government agency public in charge of safety), in the district of Manaíra, an upper middle class neighborhood, which has, in recent times, been considered one of the most violent areas in João Pessoa. Sought to understand connections between these events and morpho-social aspects of the built environment, where examined the spatial properties, such as accessibility of the urban net, the presence of control measures, the safety of buildings and their uses. Spatial properties were also validated by the observation of pedestrian flows at strategic points of the study area. It was concluded that the presence of intense flows helps to attract potential thieves, physical security and control offers little protection

Espaço público e sociabilidade urbana: apropriações e significados dos espaços públicos na cidade contemporânea

Study public space is studying the city and its dynamics through a representation point. The changes that are observed in these spaces and in the relations established there, or with it, are related to changes that occurred in the city as a whole, in the urban way of living. Study public space allied to urban sociability permits an even better focus on this relation between people in these spaces and with the spaces and in the consequences and fragile aspects this relation can impose to people and cities. This work is aimed towards this relation between public space and urban sociability. Through a conceptual/theoretical discussion aims, specifically, comprehend how to establish and what is the relation between urban space and urban sociability (appropriation/perception of place, tendencies of seclusion), from an isolated analysis of each one of these themes in the contemporaneous city. The Brazilian public space has peculiar characteristics, arising from its historical process of construction, also influenced by the public sphere fragile construction that permeates it, as well as more recent variables such as the sensation of insecurity and commodification of these places. The urban sociability influences and is influenced along all this process of significance and reframing of the public space. The conceptual discussion about each isolate variable provides the necessary coverage for discussion and analysis of the relation between them and the consequence of this relation in the city, such as the notation of relevant experiences of this process of revaluation of the public space. The hereby search is not through a path to reestablish the relation as it already existed, but also for an understanding of the dynamic as is established today and for existing possibilities for maintenance and appreciation of the relation between people and the city by believing in its importance to urban life

Vitalidade no centro antigo Teresina, Piauí Praça Marechal Deodoro: uma intervenção contemporânea em área de valor patrimonial

This study deals with the discussions of contemporary interventions in public spaces in areas of heritage value. The product of this dissertation is an Intervention Project to Marechal Deodoro Square located in Teresina/PI center. The starting point for understanding the theme of this study is to investigate the accessibility and vitality of a public space - through relationship between form and uses. The spatial properties of accessibility and visibility as well as the distribution of land use - factors were associated with distinct patterns of vitality - and compared to usage patterns observed in situ and statements from users obtained through the results of the questionnaires. In attention to questions about the building constructed, particularly in historical centers, considers the guidelines to define intervention strategies in the square, consisted in the development of simulations that after evaluation of results of redesign, was chosen the best option to meet the necessary requirements to the performance, considering the spatial properties of integration and visibility that meet these requirements. Therefore, the "Intervention Project" carried out for the Marechal Deodoro Square characterization proposed items are discussed: spatial structure, vegetation, road network, pavements, street furniture and lighting