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

Percepção dos usuários nos espaços públicos: avaliação pós-ocupação em três praças de Natal-RN

The research investigates the acting and the importance for the users of the public squares located predominantly in residential areas. It presents the results of the posoccupation evaluations accomplished in three squares, whose physical, environmental characteristics, equipments and fumitures are different in its qualities and amounts, taking in consideration aspects related to the users' physical and psychological comfort and of the inhabitants of the I spill. The collection of data involved physical risings and of files, observations behavious, application of questionnaires and interviews, analyzed qualitative as quantitatively so much for a larger precision and validity of the investigation. The results were obtained through the relationship among the users' perception the environmental attributes and the different levels of apropriation/use of the studied places. They indicate that the aspects composicionais of physical order of the space affects the type and the intensity of use of the squares intimately, contributing positive or negatively for its valor. It is evidenced like this, that the low freqüentation of the public squares of Natal, is due mainly to referring aspects to the physical quality and the amount of the fumitures and urban equipments. It is ended that the investments and the physical planning of these public spaces should be based in the real knowledge of the aspirations of the population objective, in way to allow its largest use and valor

Influência das águas da Bacia Hidrográfica Pirangi na balneabilidade das praias de Pirangi, nos municípios de Nísia Floresta e Parnamirim Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

The Pirangi beach is located in the eastern coastline of Rio Grande do Norte state, in the municipality of Parnamirim and Nísia Floresta. In it flow into Pirangi Watershed (PW), whose water receives large amounts of pollutants, mainly domestic and industrial sewage from districts where pass the rivers that consist it, compromising, thus, the bathing water quality of the Pirangi beach. Bearing in mind the importance of water sanitary quality to ensure an environment that no present risk to the bathers s health, this work had as main objective to assess the influence of the PW s waters in the bathing water quality of the Pirangi beaches. To that end, were made collections of water in the beaches and in the rivers with the intention of quantify the fecal contamination indicators thermotolerant coliforms and enterococci, to then classify the conditions of bathing water quality according with the CONAMA Resolution number 274 of 2000. For the purposes greater knowledge about the health conditions of the Beaches Pirangi and about the influence the PW s waters exert on it, was done parallely to the study of the water quality, an investigation of the sand sanitary quality. Furthermore, it was made an evaluation of the PW s Water Quality through Water Quality Index (WQI). Starting from the results obtained in the research present was possible to verify, among other aspects, that the entry of the PW s waters in the Pirangi beaches exerts direct influence in the bathing water quality of the same ones, being the North Pirangi beach (point tracking PA-02) the most influenced. There was noticed also a significant reduction in the conditions of bathing water quality of the beaches in the rainy season. However, the precariousness do sewerage system of the Natal metropolitan region and the absence of a right system of treatment an final disposal of domestic sewage and industrial are the main factors responsi le for deterioration of the PW s Water Quality, and as a consequence, compromising the bathing water quality of the Pirangi beaches

As praças e a parceria público-privada em Natal/RN

Defined as public space or space open of common use, the square is a fundamental space for the urban life. Its function depends so much of the historical context, as of its location in the city, but general way, it is associated to leisure activities. In spite of its importance, many Brazilian squares are abandoned and degraded, some are used improperly, other they never left the paper and they are wastelands, most of the time, transformed in garbage deposits. The lack of appropriate equipments in the squares or to the precariousness of the same ones, such as banks, illumination and places for the different age groups; the lack of the "nature", in other words, of green; and the maintenance lack is some of the problems observed at the squares of Natal/RN. The maintenance is essential factor for the own existence of the square, so much in relation to the physical quality of the space, as in relation to the presence, or no, of users. In that work, we studied the squares of Natal/RN and the partnership public-private as form of shared administration of the public space. Our objective is to understand as it feels that partnership in the production and maintenance of squares in Natal/RN and which the benefits for the involved parts. For so much, we rescued the production of squares historically in the city of Natal/RN; We analyzed the legislation that regularizes the adoption of squares in some Brazilian municipal districts and the Bill of Adoption of Public Squares and of Sports and Green Areas in Natal/RN; and, last we analyzed three natalenses squares that had private investment in the construction, it reforms and/or maintenance. The "partnerships" involved exchange for land, environmental and social compensations, always assisting to the private interests, and nothing was registered or documented in the competent public organs. With that dissertation we wanted to contribute for the valorization of the squares and the relevance of the construction, renewal and maintenance of those public spaces in the city of Natal/RN, as life spaces, of encounters, of leisure

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

Percepção dos usuários nos espaços públicos: avaliação pós-ocupação em três praças de Natal-RN

The research investigates the acting and the importance for the users of the public squares located predominantly in residential areas. It presents the results of the posoccupation evaluations accomplished in three squares, whose physical, environmental characteristics, equipments and fumitures are different in its qualities and amounts, taking in consideration aspects related to the users' physical and psychological comfort and of the inhabitants of the I spill. The collection of data involved physical risings and of files, observations behavious, application of questionnaires and interviews, analyzed qualitative as quantitatively so much for a larger precision and validity of the investigation. The results were obtained through the relationship among the users' perception the environmental attributes and the different levels of apropriation/use of the studied places. They indicate that the aspects composicionais of physical order of the space affects the type and the intensity of use of the squares intimately, contributing positive or negatively for its valor. It is evidenced like this, that the low freqüentation of the public squares of Natal, is due mainly to referring aspects to the physical quality and the amount of the fumitures and urban equipments. It is ended that the investments and the physical planning of these public spaces should be based in the real knowledge of the aspirations of the population objective, in way to allow its largest use and valor

Avaliação da qualidade da água do Rio Piranhas-Açu/RN utilizando a comunidade de macroinvertebrados bentônicos

The biomonitoring technique for water quality in water bodies has been incorporated increasingly in management of the natural resources, using mainly indices of its aquatic community characteristics. In Brazil the first efforts to use this technique was restricted to the South and the Midwest region of this country. Located in the northeast region, this study was conducted at Rio Grande do Norte state and had as main objective the assessment of water quality in the Piranhas-Açu river using benthic macroinvertebrates community as biological indicators. Thus, were applied two biotic indices, the BMWP (Biological Monitoring Working Party score system) and the IBF (Family Biotic Index). According the requirements of these indices, two periods of sampling were determined as basic methodology, in dry seasons of 2006 and 2007. The sampling sites were around the municipalities of Açu, Ipanguaçu, Alto do Rodrigues and Pendências. Physical-chemical measurements; a protocol of rapid assessment of diversity of habitats, and determination of the degree of tolerance of each taxon to organic pollution were also performed. The most abundant organisms found in the river were tolerant with the prevalence of Chironomidae (Diptera) and Melanoides tuberculata. This results, together with those ones got in indices application, showed a considerable organic pollution in the four sample places and the reaches were classified as modified to impacted. According to the used indices, this study suggest that this river have significant alteration in the biotic community and water quality on the organic pollution, and this fact, occurs in the reach of the river further downstream, where were expected a good water quality. Considering these results, measures aiming the conservation of this water body are needed regarding as it is inserted into a fragile ecosystem with dry season phenomenon, and the water of this river has extremely importance for the local economy

Comunidade fitoplanctônica e qualidade da água da lagoa do jiqui, parnamirim, rn

It is important to evaluate the quality of water for proper management of these resources, since the increase of environmental degradation and the multiple use of water resources are decreasing the quality of water consumed by living beings. The objective of this study was to characterize the phytoplankton community and its variations during periods of dray and rain in Jiqui Lake located in Parnamirim, RN. It was also aimed to analyze the physical and chemical factors of this environment, in order to contribute to the knowledge of water quality used for human consumption. The collection of water samples were carried out in September 2008 to August 2009. The collection of the phytoplankton community was carried out in four sampling sites (surface, bottom, margin of the lake without macrophytes and site dominated by macrophytes). Phytoplankton was collected using plankton net of 20m. The analysis of nutrients and identification of phytoplankton were performed in the laboratory. The results indicate that concentration of chlorophyll a was high in the bottom with mean value of 1.07 μgL-1 (SD ± 1.61). During the study period there was a dominance of the following species: Euglena gracilis, Trachelomonas sp, Cyclotellas sp, Gomphonema apuncto, Navicula cuspidata var. cuspidata, Navicula sp, Rhopalodia gibba. There was homogeneity between limnological values in the four study sites, with significant difference between the periods of drought and rain. The Jiqui Lake is considered oligotrophic due to its low concentrations of chlorophyll a, high transparency and low levels of nutrients. The values of BOD and chlorophyll a concentration remained below the permitted standards existing for freshwaters in Brazil, thus the water from Lake Jiqui is of good quality, suitable for human consumption.

Demanda química de oxigênio, clorofila a e comunidade fitoplanctônica como indicadores da qualidade da água no Canal do Pataxó/RN

The current study examined spatial-temporal modifications and water quality through chemical and biotic indicators during both dry (January, February and November 2006) and wet seasons (March to June 2006). This study was carried out in Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves Reservoir, RN, Canal do Pataxó and after the water station treatment (WST). The physical-chemical parameters were measured in situ and inorganic nutrients, chlorophyll a and Free Oxygen Demand (FOD) were analyzed in laboratory conditions. Quali quantitative analyses of phytoplankton were carried out utilizing Sedgwick-Rafter camera. Results indicate that DQO concentrations were low. FOD concentrations in the reservoir were comparatively higher in the dry season (5.21 mgL-1; 5.64 mgL-1 e 6.05 mgL-1) in relation to the wet season (4.52 mgL-1; 4.12 mgL-1 e 4.92 mgL-1), in surface, intermediate and bottom waters, respectively. FOD values were inferior to 1.0mgL-1in both Canal do Pataxó and after WST, which is considered adequate for public use reservoirs. Although FOD concentrations were low, Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves Reservoir, Canal do Pataxó and WST were classified as euthophizied, mesotrophic ad oligotrophic, respectively, considering the Index of Trophic State Criteria. Chlorophyll a concentrations in the study reservoir were higher in the surface (199.2 µgL-1) during the wet season, whereas in Canal do Pataxó concentrations decreased from 1.56 µgL-1 to 0.028 µgL-1, and after WST values were low (0.059 µgL-1). Dominance of cianobacterias, such as Planktotrhix agardhii (dry season) and Microcystis sp (wet season) was registered in all three areas. In the reservoir and Canal do Pataxó, density of cianobacterias, such as P. agardhii and Microcistys sp., was superior to the values allowed by the Health ministry (HM). However, after WST, density values of cianobacteria were inferior to values established by the HM

Comunidades zooplanctônicas como bioindicadoras da qualidade da água de quatro reservatórios da região semi-árida do Rio Grande do Norte

The response of zooplankton assemblages to variations in the water quality of four man-made lakes, caused by eutrophication and siltation, was investigated by means of canonical correspondence analysis. Monte Carlo simulations using the CCA eingenvalues as test statistics revealed that changes in zooplankton species composition along the environmental gradients of trophic state and abiogenic turbidity were highly significant. The species Brachionus calyciflorus, Thermocyclops sp. and Argyrodiaptomus sp. were good indicators of eutrophic conditions while the species Brachionus dolabratus, Keratella tropica and Hexarthra sp. were good indicators of high turbidity due to suspended sediments. The rotifer genus Brachionus was the most species-rich taxon, comprising five species which were associated with different environmental conditions. Therefore, we tested whether this genus alone could potentially be a better biological indicator of these environmental gradients than the entire zooplankton assemblages or any other random set of five species. The ordination results show that the five Brachionus species alone did not explain better the observed pattern of environmental variation than most random sets of five species. Therefore, this genus could not be selected as a target taxon for more intensive environmental monitoring as has been previously suggested by Attayde and Bozelli (1998). Overall, our results show that changes in the water quality of man-made lakes in a tropical semi-arid region have significant effects on the structure of zooplankton assemblages that can potentially affect the functioning of these ecosystems

Impacto da atividade física na qualidade de vida em mulheres de meia idade: estudo de base populacional

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Variação da qualidade da água de chuva no início da precipitação

One of the most evident and actual concern, not only in the scientific means, but also of the public knowledge in general, is the lack problem of the potable water, that come increasing more each time, motivated mainly for the po llution of the sources, the bad use of the water and the increase of the population. In such a way, the necessity of looking for new water sources and the development of techniques to use sources minus explored is becoming even more important and urgent. T he rainwater comes being used since a long time like a supplying source, but, due the few knowledge of its characteristics, the generated preconception and the discrimination around its consumption and to the bad use of the technique of collection and stor age, it comes being little used, wasting consequently a significant parcel of this source. Trying to develop the knowing of some characteristics of the rainwater, the present work looks for to define the curve of variation of the quality of the rainwater i n three points with distinct characteristics of the city of Natal -RN, in the course of the precipitation, in some situations of time and space. For describe the curve of variation of the water s quality, some variables must be analyzed, and to be identifie d when they modify themselves in the endurance of rain, showing in which moment the purification of the water is more or less quickly. The pH, the Turbidity and the Electric Conductivity can be related with a big part of the physicist -chemistries variables found in the water and, like its analyses don't spend any material, they have easy access and measurement. The present work analyzes the curves of decline of these three variables, in three points with distinct characteristics in the city of Natal -RN, being these points: one next to the sea, another one in region with great buildings concentration and the last point in a less polluted area. For the studied region, it was during the five first millimeters of rain that occurs the biggest reduction of the exi sting impurities in the atmosphere, mainly between the first and the second millimeter, and after the five first millimeters the values of the variables stabilize. With exception of the University Campus, where initially the rainwater already has very good quality, the values of Turbidity and Electric Conductivity suffer a brusque reduction after the first millimeter of rain

Variação da qualidade da água do escoamento superficial de duas bacias de drenagem de Natal/RN - Brasil

The urban drainage is one of the powers of environmental sanitation and its scope is the quantitative and qualitative aspects. In decision making of managers and the engineering aspects of design are almost always taken into account only the quantitative aspects. However, the waters of the runoff have the highest concentrations of pollutants at the beginning of precipitation. Thus, if the plot pollution removed, the remaining portion can be used for other purposes. This work has aimed to present the variation of water quality of two drainage basins in the city of Natal / RN-Brazil to support the implementation of drainage to consider the qualitative aspect, and identify potential for the use of water. The basins (M and C) are analyzed closed-type, are in the urban area, are predominantly residential occupation and its waters are used for detention ponds and infiltration. The samples were divided into three phases, the first two direct to final points in a basin and the third in traps distributed over the surface drainage. The parameters had been analyzed were pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, Color, Turbidity, COD, Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, total phosphorus, orthophosphate, Sediments solids, total solids, chloride, sulfate, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, Heavy Metals (Chromium, Cadmium, Lead, Zinc and Copper), Eschichia coli and total coliforms. The parameters studied showed high initial pollution load, events and located in different proportions, except nitrite, heavy metals and biological indicators. The size of the surface drainage and topographic its features influence the quality of water. However, the form of sampling is crucial in the qualitative study in the basin. The samplers developed at work, were generated economic and representative results. The urban rainwater presents organic faecal indicators. The runoff of water from both basins shows no risk of salinity and sodicity for use in irrigation, should be noted the content of chloride in the choice of method of irrigation

Avaliação da Qualidade da Água do rio Pitimbu

The Pitimbu River Basin is concern reason, therefore this is one of the mains freshwater sources for the Natal city supplying. The Pitimbu waters river flow into Jiqui pond, as the main supplier of this, that supplies 16% of Natal population and there is a bigger importance despite the supplying of a parcel of Natal city made joining underground waters with the water proceeding from the Jiqui pond, being used for dilution waters of contaminated wells with nitrate. Even with the importance of the Pitimbu, there is a strong pressure of occupation of its edge according to a critical urban growth, becoming the situation worse and increasing the necessity of management of the use and occupation of the ground and keeping the control of the prompt pollution, as punctual as diffuse. There are many studies about Pitimbu River Basin, however they summarize themselves to some months or even in a few years. This work, that gathers these information, increasing the amplitude and making possible an evaluation of the attitude of the water in a period extended for an evaluation of values of variable quality of water referring to the standards, that usually happens about the variable frequency distribution, central tendency and measures of dispersion, as the coefficient of variation, coefficient of skewness and the coefficient of determination of certain variable on another one. This work to evaluates the quality conditions of the Pitimbu river waters by analyzing thirty five (35) variables Physical, chemical and biological in eight (8) points of water course since 1993 to 2007. Given this situation, all knowledge about the waters quality conditions obtained in this work, is a strong subsidy for management of use and ground occupation, considering the river basin as territorial unit of management, and as the water is public good domain, being a priority human use, It is necessary to guarantee to current and the future generations available water resources in appropriate standards of quality as the established standard and identifying possible reasons of pollution through statistics analysis

A influência da poluição difusa e do regime hidrológico peculiar do semiárido na qualidade da água de um reservatório tropical

In semiarid region of northeast Brazil, the majority of reservoirs used for public supply has suffered degradation of water quality affected by diffuse pollution from agricultural and livestock areas of the watershed and by hydrologic regime peculiar to the region, characterized by a rainy season with higher volumes stored in reservoirs and a dry season with a reduction in water level due to high evaporation and increase of eutrophication. The Dourado reservoir, located in Currais Novos city, semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte state, is one example of a water supply reservoir that can have degradation of water quality and impracticability of their use, due to the high external input of nutrients from non-point sources of watershed during the rainy season and increasing of eutrophication due to decrease the stored volume during the dry period. This study aimed to investigate and quantify diffuse pollution and the hydrologic regime of semiarid region in order to establish standards regarding the water quality of Dourado reservoir. The study period was between the months of May 2011 to March 2012. The diffuse pollution was quantified in terms of watershed from the mass balance of phosphorus in the reservoir, as in relation to areas under different types of land use within the riparian zone of the reservoir from the assessment of soil chemical properties and losses of phosphorus in each area. The influence of hydrological regime on water quality of the reservoir was evaluated from the monthly monitoring of the morphometric, meteorological and limnological features throughout the study period. The results showed that the reservoir has received a high load of phosphorus coming from the drainage basin and presents itself as a system able to retain some of that load tributary, giving an upward trend of the eutrophication process. Diffuse pollution by nutrients from areas under different types of land use within the riparian zone of the reservoir was higher in areas under the influence of livestock, being this area considered a potential diffuse source of nutrients to the reservoir. Regarding the water regime during the rainy season the reservoir was characterized by high concentrations of nutrients and small algal biomass, while in the dry season the reduction of volume and increase of the water retention time of the reservoir, contributing to the excessive growth algal biomass, favoring an increase in eutrophication and deterioration of water quality. In synthesis the water quality of Dourado reservoir is directed by diffuse pollution coming from the drainage basin and the hydrological regime of the peculiar semiarid region, where the rainy season is characterized by high input of allochthonous compounds from the tributaries and erosion of the soil in the reservoir riparian zone, and the dry season characterized by reducing the storage volume due to high evaporation, high residence time of water and consequent degradation of water quality due to the increase of eutrophication process