Formal use of urban space in Brazil and Spain: a comparative analysis of the urban laws which regulate urban land planning and management, on the issue of urban boundaries

• Grant number: 13/15786-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: September 21, 2013
• End date: January 20, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Geography - Human Geography
• Principal Investigator: Lindon Fonseca Matias
• Grantee: Natalia Pivesso Martins
• Supervisor: Montserrat Gómez Delgado
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências (IG). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/10897-5 - Real and formal use of urban space in the metropolitan region of Campinas: an analysis for territorial planning and management, BP.MS

Abstract

The production of geographic space implies the understanding of social, political, ideological, legal and cultural relations. It considers diverse economical, political and social interests which dictate the different urban uses and the transformation of agricultural/natural areas. These transformations allow for urban expansion and must be managed through appropriate legislation in order to regulate, mitigate and forecast the course of this expansion. Among the roles of the state and its possibilities of action, it is necessary to highlight the establishment of the legal framework for the production and use of space. In Brazil, the law that governs and regulates the urban space is found at the local level with the Master Plan which is based on federal guidelines, such as Articles 182 and 183 of the Federal Constitution (1988), and the City Statute (2001). The legislation that governs the urban limits and its expansion is called the Law of Urban Perimeter. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the formal use of urban space and its legal structure, which in theory, limits and plans the urban space. In doing so, the main objective of doing this research project abroad is to perform a geographical study to explore the relationship that exists between the Spanish political legislation and their urban planning. This will identify the foundations of the Spanish legislation and urban planning, while comparing them with those existent in Brazil. The methodology to be followed is based on a theoretical study of the subject through a bibliographical review of the main literary sources in the area of urban planning and territorial analysis that is related to the interest of this research. In doing so, it is expected to deepen the understanding of the term "formal use" and to also understand further the documentation used such as masters plans, legislation etc., related to the urban issue in Spain. This allows an understanding of how the urban space is planned and limited by the Spanish law in comparison with that of the case in Brazil. The intention is to also visit urban areas of the metropolitan Madrid area and interview experts in the field in order to consolidate the findings and compare it with the urban regions of the metropolitan Campinas area. The proposed activities will serve to advance and expound the master research topic that is being developed within the Posgraduate Program in Geography from the University of Campinas (Universidad Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP). (AU)