The territorial allocation of funds from the Urban Development Fund of São Paulo (Fundurb)

• Grant number: 24/20777-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - Public Policies
• Principal Investigator: Ursula Dias Peres
• Grantee: Giovana Borges Cursino Bianconi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07616-7 - CEM - Center for Metropolitan Studies, AP.CEPID

Abstract

the Urban Development Fund of São Paulo (Fundurb) was created by the Strategic Master Plan (PDE) of 2002 with the aim of financing projects from sectoral secretariats in key areas of urban development in the municipality of São Paulo. In other words, the implementation of Fundurb promotes changes in the city's territory. Annually, the Management Council (MC) must prepare a plan for funds utilization, defining how the funds collected will be distributed among the various departments. This process is shaped by allocative decisions and, therefore, by political disputes between the secretariats. Thus, since Fundurb transforms the urban space and involves distributive conflict over its resources, the research question proposed in this project is: how are the Fundurb resources distributed across the city's districts, and what public actions are promoted by this instrument in each of these regions between 2013 and 2022? To address this, the research will analyze three data types: (i) the budget execution and Fundurb expenditure databases provided by the City Hall; (ii) semi-structured interviews with members of the Management Council (MC); and (iii) an indicator of local socio-spatial inequalities. The databases will allow for the spatialization of investments by district and a description of the public actions promoted by Fundurb. The interviews will provide insight into the actors's perceptions of the founds allocation. The socio-spatial inequalities indicator will be used as a tool for comparison with the territorialization, in order to assess whether Fundurb's implementation is or reproducing or reducing socio-spatial inequalities, given that one of the PDE's objectives is to promote equal access for all residents to quality urban services and facilities.