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Home-based enterprising and the garment industry in São Paulo's downtown

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Author(s):
Cinthia Kawe Wu
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Master's Dissertation
Press: Campinas, SP.
Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Leandro Silva Medrano; Heliana Comin Vargas; Ana Maria Reis de Goes Monteiro
Advisor: Doris Catharine Cornelie Knatz Kowaltowski; Leandro Silva Medrano
Abstract

This paper describes a study of home-based enterprises (HBEs). Spatial quality implications of these activities to the dwelling and the neighborhood are discussed. In face of international debates about the (re)qualification of central areas, this research aims to examine the effects of culture on informal income-generating activities. Culture has been adopted as a recent strategy of urban redevelopment in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, with emphasis on the downtown area. Many HBEs operate from home and their heritage is rooted in the manufacturing sector of women's apparel in the districts of Bom Retiro and Brás of the city of São Paulo. The garment industry in this area has offered work to various cultural backgrounds, from Jews to Koreans and Latin Americans during the last century. The so-called at home factories are very common in this downtown area, contributing to the city's economy and the vitality of the place, despite its conflicts with planning regulations. Nine cases studies located in São Paulo were devised to explore the importance of HBEs to household economies and to evaluate the spatial implications in the dwellings and impacts on neighborhood quality. Results show that conflicts exist between the two major activities: home and work. From these insights, recommendations are developed to improve the quality of life of home based workers and assist the (re)qualification of the central area of São Paulo (AU)