Expansão urbana e risco em cidades médias

Abstract

Risk is an important theme because of its great expression in urban space. For this reason it is analyzed by the various sciences as economy, politics, sociology, psychology, architecture, urbanism, geography, among others. For the geographers, the understanding of the risk must contain some primordial aspects as the identification of the types, location, social, economic and environmental characterization of them. The risks studied by geographers, according to Almeida (2012) refer to the idea of "spatial expression", and are classified by the author in "Environmental risks - Natural risk, Environmental risks - Natural risks aggravated by man, Technological Risks, economic, geopolitical and Social and other types of risks - major risks and urban risks ".In urban spaces risks can be perceived through human occupations in unstable areas. This type of occupation occurs largely to the low-income population who, because they do not have the necessary conditions to live elsewhere, reside in these areas. In addition, occupation in an area of risk comes from the process of urban expansion. This occurs quickly and expressively, for this reason, entails economic and social segregation in urban space. In this sense, this research analyzes the urban expansion and the risks arising from this process in the city of Montes Claros - MG. For that, the areas of risk were identified, mapped and analyzed, according to Almeida's (2012) classification in said city. The general objective is to analyze the urban expansion and the risks arising from this process in the city. The specific objectives are: to address urbanization and risk from the perspective of geographical science; Analyze the process of urban expansion associated with the emergence of risk areas in Montes Claros; Identify with diagnosis and typology the risks in Montes Claros and map those areas. The methodological procedures applied in this research were: bibliographic analysis on themes, urban space, intra-urban space, urban geography, urban occupation, urbanization and medium cities, environmental risks and vulnerabilities, urban space production, urban expansion, urban planning and management ; Documentary Investigations by the Federal Constitution of 1988, Statute of the cities - Law 10,257 of July 10, 2001, Master Plan - Law no. 2,921 of August 27, 2011, in the City Hall - Civil Defense; Interviews with citizens residing in the risk areas; Iconographic records, use of the Arc Giz program for the production of urban expansion maps. Through the research it was found that in all directions of the city there are areas of risk. Thus, the risks classified by Almeida (2012) were identified. In addition, it was verified that they are caused by the rapid urban expansion concomitantly with the inefficiency of urban planning and management. It is worth remembering that the population residing in these areas is aware of the illegality of these occupations, even so, they remain in the risk areas. In this way, participatory planning and management are presented as important instruments that can reduce the existence of risk areas, as well as improve the living conditions for the city dwellers.