Fragmentação espacial em cidades médias: novas formas de produção do espaço

Abstract

Spatial fragmentation is a component of urban restructuring, reflecting the new forms of production of contemporary urban space. In Brazil, this process is already extensively explored in academic papers aimed at metropolises. However, in medium-sized cities studies on the theme are recent. This is because fragmented urban space is not exclusive to cities of metropolitan standards, it also takes place in medium-sized cities. In these cities, spatial fragmentation is configured with its own rhythm and characteristics. In this context, understanding that the urban space is not static and that new spatial processes are developing and, recognizing the relevance and modernity of the theme in the urban sphere, this is the place of this research on spatial fragmentation. Thus, this research analyzes the process of spatial fragmentation in the medium-sized city of Montes Claros, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. And the general objective is to analyze characteristics that indicate that Montes Claros reached the stage of spatial fragmentation in contemporary urbanization. The specific objectives are: to present the theoretical discussion about contemporary Brazilian urbanization, the production of space and the process of spatial fragmentation in medium-sized cities; contextualize the medium-sized city of Montes Claros focusing on its economic dimension and; analyze the process of spatial fragmentation. For this purpose, the following variables will be treated: income, tertiary sector, downtown, new centralities and periphery, urban mobility, leisure: public and private, housing and verticalization. The methodology adopted was quali-quantitative, with bibliographic analysis, document research and field research. The analyzed primary data was collected through field research and interviews as well as secondary data extracted from scientific publications, governmental and non-governmental agencies, tabulation of data for the creation of graphs and the production of maps. Added to this, the study of pamphlets in the real estate sector aiming to illustrate the actions taken by real estate agents for the commercialization of projects. Through theoretical analysis and empirical results, it was found that Montes Claros is a fragmented city. A fragmented city was denoted, from the contrasts in its urban fabric given its current forms of configuration and structuring reflected, among other aspects, in the spatial segmentation due to social uses.