Praias urbanas e racionalidade ambiental: avaliação da gestão, das intervenções urbanísticas e dos usos na praia de ponta negra

This dissertation addresses issues considered essential for sustainable development of urban waterfronts and beaches. Many of these spaces, even though they are of public authorities, economic market and general population interests - due to its landscape, its importance for recreation purposes and as a basis of " Sun and beach Tourism " (Turismo de Sol e Praia), among other factors - have shown aesthetic, health and cultural degradation, entailing environmental, economic and social losses and conflicts. Based on this perception, the research aims to understand the main reasons for these negative results for beach spaces. To this end, it was chosen the case study of a typical urban beach, Ponta Negra Beach, located in Natal, RN. Ponta Negra is associated with the "postcard" of the city and it has been deserving of municipal urban planning legislation that legally recognizes the importance of its landscape. Also it has received constant investments by the Government through urban projects, arguing to leave the site attractive to its users. Nevertheless, in the last fifteen years, the beach has lived with the expansion of its problems, such as those related to bathing water, to coastal erosion, and to the mangling of its natural surroundings. Social conflicts have also been frequent in this time frame: conflicts between residents of the waterfront and traders who work on the beach, between the traders themselves, between the managers of space and fishermen, between managers and formal and informal traders. Many of these social and environmental conflicts have taken such grand proportions that became legal matters. Assuming that the problems identified are related to the issue of rationality - understood as a system of values, norms and actions that relate means and ends - and upholding the need for focused research on "environmental rationality" to understand and interpret the dynamics of social and environmental problems encountered on site, the research that guides the study relies on the Mexican economist Enrique Leff's theory on "environmental rationality" which, briefly, can be defined as a system of values, norms, actions and means and ends relations based on the principles of environmental management and sustainable development. Among other aspects, rationality encompasses cross-sectional planning of public administration, the participation of society in the management of environmental resources, interdisciplinary reorganization of knowledge, the clash of opposing interests and the conciliation of common goals of different social actors. The study evaluates the relationship between "environmental rationality", as proposed by Enrique Leff, with the management, urban interventions and uses observed in Ponta Negra Beach. For that, some benchmarks were established and considered in the research as related to sustainable development of the "beachy" atmosphere. Analytical instruments chosen were the urban transformations and the environmental and social problems that have been the target of lawsuits. Also part of the study, the problems that were the subject of civil investigations, which are investigation procedures carried out by the Prosecutor's Office.

Um brinde à cachaça: o patrimônio históricocultural e seus usos turísticos nos alambiques do Rio Grande do Norte

The study proposes to present a discussion about the value of cachaça as a cultural heritage and its relation with the touristic activities in the State of Rio Grande do Norte. Based on a discussion originated from historic studies related to the touristic sector, especially when it comes to gastronomy, cachaça is defined not only as an important instrument to the construction of identities, but, also, as an element able to weave social, political and economic relations. Therefore, a touristic product that can provide new destinations. The research was made through five alembics located on the East and Seridó regions of Rio Grande do Norte. To define the focus, it is necessary to refine this selection, especially when dealing with historical facts and memories from these establishment owners. Thus, it becomes necessary to consider the alembic trajectory, periods of larger productions and insertion in the touristic market. Through documental data collection and observations made in field tours, the research has a qualitative approach with descriptive and exploratory goal, methodology that allows us to approach issues around articulations among heritage, identity and tourism. "It was concluded that the state of Rio Grande do Norte has many tourist routes where handmade cachaça produced in the State can be inserted in any of these routes due to its potential searched in the research, as well as, it is possible to work in other perspective when it comes to ways of protecting this patrimony and strategies of incentive of the activity for the development and appreciation of local economy.

Usos de membranas de quitosana na remoção de cobre em águas residuais

In this work a chitosan (CS) ionically crosslinked were manufactured by treatment with sulfuric acid solution for application in the treatment of wastewater from oil industry. Two crosslinking process were developed: homogeneous and heterogeneous. In the homogeneous process the ratio molar of SO42-/ NH3+ (1:6 and 1:4) were the variable analyzed, denominated CS16 and CS14 respectively. In the heterogeneous process the soaking time of the membranes in sulfuric acid solution were the variable studied, being used times of 5 (CS5) and 30 (CS30) minutes. FTIR-ATR results indicated no changes in the characteristics of chitosan after homogeneous crosslinking process, while heterogeneous crosslinking showed formation of ionic bonds between protonated groups from chitosan and the crosslinking agent sulfate ions. TG/DTG and XRD analysis confirmed the formation of these interactions, as also shown the new structure on the surface region of CS5 and CS30 membranes compared to CS, CS16 e CS14. Swelling test in aqueous medium have shown that crosslinking process reduced the membrane sorption capacity. Swelling test in acid medium demonstrated that CS16 and CS14 membranes increasing the adsorption capacity up to a maximum percentage of 140% approximately, whereas the CS5 e CS30 reached a maximum of 60%. The mechanical properties indicated the stiff and ductile behavior of crosslinked membrane. Adsorption experiments of CuCl2 results that CS16 membranes reached the efficiency maximum with 73% of copper removal at pH 5.0 and 87% at pH 4.0. The experiments with CuSO4 also obtained efficiency maximum to the CS16 membrane and 80% to the removal of Cu2+ ions. Also was verified that the increase of concentration and temperature cause a decrease in the adsorption capacity for all membranes. Kinetics study indicated that pseudo-second-order obtained characterized better the membranes. Equilibrium studies demonstrated that the CS, CS16 and CS14 follow the Langmuir model, whereas CS5 and CS30 follows Freundlich model. Filtration experiments results with rejection maximum to the CS16 and CS5 membranes, reaching 92 and 98% respectively.

Usos de membranas de quitosana na remoção de cobre em águas residuais

In this work a chitosan (CS) ionically crosslinked were manufactured by treatment with sulfuric acid solution for application in the treatment of wastewater from oil industry. Two crosslinking process were developed: homogeneous and heterogeneous. In the homogeneous process the ratio molar of SO42-/ NH3+ (1:6 and 1:4) were the variable analyzed, denominated CS16 and CS14 respectively. In the heterogeneous process the soaking time of the membranes in sulfuric acid solution were the variable studied, being used times of 5 (CS5) and 30 (CS30) minutes. FTIR-ATR results indicated no changes in the characteristics of chitosan after homogeneous crosslinking process, while heterogeneous crosslinking showed formation of ionic bonds between protonated groups from chitosan and the crosslinking agent sulfate ions. TG/DTG and XRD analysis confirmed the formation of these interactions, as also shown the new structure on the surface region of CS5 and CS30 membranes compared to CS, CS16 e CS14. Swelling test in aqueous medium have shown that crosslinking process reduced the membrane sorption capacity. Swelling test in acid medium demonstrated that CS16 and CS14 membranes increasing the adsorption capacity up to a maximum percentage of 140% approximately, whereas the CS5 e CS30 reached a maximum of 60%. The mechanical properties indicated the stiff and ductile behavior of crosslinked membrane. Adsorption experiments of CuCl2 results that CS16 membranes reached the efficiency maximum with 73% of copper removal at pH 5.0 and 87% at pH 4.0. The experiments with CuSO4 also obtained efficiency maximum to the CS16 membrane and 80% to the removal of Cu2+ ions. Also was verified that the increase of concentration and temperature cause a decrease in the adsorption capacity for all membranes. Kinetics study indicated that pseudo-second-order obtained characterized better the membranes. Equilibrium studies demonstrated that the CS, CS16 and CS14 follow the Langmuir model, whereas CS5 and CS30 follows Freundlich model. Filtration experiments results with rejection maximum to the CS16 and CS5 membranes, reaching 92 and 98% respectively.

Saudosa Maloca, Maloca querida: um estudo morfológico da relação forma/usos do espaço em moradias autoconstruídas e construídas pelo poder público após um ano de ocupação

This study intends to enhance the existing knowledge concerning the patterns of the uses of space for low cost housing in Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, by way of comparative morphological studies in spatial arrangements and articulations regarding three distinct, however inter-related, sets of social housing: (1) a development comprising 21 self-built houses erected on public routes and illegal plots within a tract of land originally designed to be an industrial development: (2) architect-designed houses built by the public authority in order to accommodate the previous 21 (plus a few additions) families occupying the self-built dwellings, and (3) modifications performed by dwellers on a total of those 24 houses built by the public authority after an occupation period of one year. The predominant uses of each room within the self-built and modified houses were represented in ground plan, based on empirical observation, surveys with dwellers and the use of analytical procedures of morphologic analysis of nature predominantly geometric (specific) and topology (space syntax analysis). A scale of priorities was identified in relation to the uses of each room, its geometrical arrangement (adjacency, front/back relations etc), and underlying structures (connectivity, depth and spatial integration) in order to establish congruencies and non-congruencies between a social-cultural order embedded in the self-built domestic space and the design logic contained in the houses offered by official agencies. The comparative analysis points towards the convivial existence of two tendencies: one that seems to reinforce a design logic inasmuch as the additions and modifications performed by the dwellers do not alter but even emphasize the original configuration of the designed houses, and another one in which those patterns are subverted in accordance with a logic which, to a lesser or greater degree, coincides with that of the self-built dwellings

Barracas de Praia, praia de barracas: configuração, tipo e usos na praia do futuro, Fortaleza CE

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyse the importance of the huts of Praia do Futuro to their users and to the city of Fortaleza in Ceará through the comprehension of relations between morphological categories - in urban and edified contexts - of the establishments and their use patterns. This place is one of the main recreation and leisure areas of the city, formed by six kilometres of waterfront, corresponding to a differentiated area through the coast. This space has beach huts with varied profiles: while some more simple huts persist, great complexes are being developed, building even water parks on the beach area. This study analyses relations between:i) spatial configuration (in geometric and mainly topological terms) based on the Social Logic of Space; ii) edified typology (analysing capacity, landscap treatment and program of the huts); and iii) use and environmental perception of the beach by its frequenters. There are consistent relations between the type of hut and their localization in the urban grid, of which were identified groups with different patterns: segregated (north, central and south) and integrated (north: more integrated. and south: less integrated). Such relations also reflect, in varied patterns of use and environmental perception. In spite of their strong economy, the beach huts find themselves in a fragile legal situation because they occupy the beach area, so that this study may come to assist the decision-making for the future of the region. For a sustainable development of the area by those responsible and managers it is necessary to evaluate the cultural importance of the huts at Praia do Futuro, understanding their occupation and uses.