Banca de DEFESA: MOACIR VIEIRA DA SILVA

CENTRALITIES, LOCAL CENTERS AND TOURISM IN THE BRAZILIAN NORTHEAST: A READING BEYOND THE URBAN HIERARCHY

Centrality. Local Centers. Tourism. Space Production. Non-hierarchical relationships

Most studies on urban centrality, especially in the context of interactions between cities, focus on tertiary activities and adopt a hierarchical, economic and functional perspective. In this approach, the centrality of a city is assessed by its ability to attract and polarize flows, as well as by its hierarchical position within urban networks (regions), determined by the availability, diversity and quantity of services and economic activities. One of the main theoretical references in this field is the Theory of Central Localities, developed by Christaller (1933), and widely applied in studies such as the Regions of Influence of Cities (the REGIC's), carried out by IBGE in several editions. Although this theory has contributed to the understanding of city networks, regions and hierarchies, it has limitations and inconsistencies (examples: analytical rigidity, lack of consideration for the historicity of places, exclusion of other economic activities). This generates the need for complementations and reinterpretations that incorporate new spatial dynamics. It is in this context that the thesis develops, proposing a spatio-temporal analysis of interurban centrality based on Henri Lefebvre's theory of space production (of the society-space-time relationship), and considering the changes and complexity of spatial interactions in force in the globalized world (beyond the rigid idea of urban hierarchy). Within this scope, we investigated interurban centrality in local centers, focusing on tourist activity – an aspect generally little explored in this type of study. Our analysis covers the post-1990s period, marked by the global and national expansion of tourism and the intensification of globalization, with emphasis on the municipalities of Cairu (BA), Jijoca de Jericoacoara (CE) and Tibau do Sul (RN), and its main tourist destinations: Morro de São Paulo, Jericoacoara and Pipa. We therefore aim to analyze, from a spatio-temporal perspective, the dynamics of interurban centrality in local centers resulting from tourist practices and activities, considering the spaces and contexts mentioned. Methodologically, the thesis was developed based on three axes: a) readings, reflections and conceptual, theoretical and analytical discussions on the key issues of the study; b) spatio-temporal analyzes (historical, geographical and documentary approaches) on the cities and places investigated; c) empirical research. From these approaches, we found that these cities occupy the lowest rungs in the Brazilian urban hierarchical system; paradoxically, they are at the highest level in the categorization of national tourism. The events that marked these spaces, especially their tourist destinations, promoted a set of materialities, practices and representations that position them as central points in the spatial fabrics. Although they do not have large commercial and service facilities, these cities attract spatial flows (material and immaterial) through their tourist content (infrastructures, attractions, images and dynamics), constituting themselves as centralities. This fact reveals different possibilities of understanding (apprehension) about the importance of places and their centralities, and offers support for future discussions in this field. It also shows that the phenomenon can be studied from different perspectives, expanding the horizons of analysis.

Keywords: Centrality. Local Centers. Tourism. Production of Space. Heterarchy.