Banca de DEFESA: STHEPHANY GABRIELA MARFISA FURTADO VELOSO

URBAN EXPANSION OF THE CITY OF CURAIS NOVOS FROM 1980 TO 2022

Currais Novos; geographical events; urban expansion

The city of Currais Novos developed throughout the 20th century, shaped by three key economic activities: livestock farming, cotton cultivation, and mining. These activities entered a phase of decline from the 1980s onwards; however, the city maintained its relevance and continued to grow, particularly through the construction of housing complexes and the implementation of infrastructure projects. At present, the city’s expansion is driven by the arrival of large-scale real estate developments. In light of this context, the central question addressed in this study is: what has been the contribution of geographical events occurring after the decline of traditional activities, from the 1980s onwards, to the urban expansion of Currais Novos, and what are the socio-spatial implications of this process? To answer this question, the following objectives were established: to investigate the contribution of traditional activities to the formation of Currais Novos; to analyse the impact of geographical events since the 1980s on the city’s urban expansion; and to understand the socio-spatial implications related to this expansion process. This study is grounded in the spatial theory of the geographer Milton Santos, whose concepts and categories serve as the main framework for the discussions. The methodological approach is based on bibliographical, documentary, and empirical research, in addition to the collection of secondary data and the production of cartographic material. Based on these procedures, an analysis was carried out on how the city, in a state of growth, responds to new events–such as the establishment of major real estate ventures–and the main implications associated with this expansion. The study highlights the significance of mining as a major driver of urbanisation, having attracted population contingents, facilitated the installation of urban facilities, and drawn public policies. Two key periods in the city’s urban expansion were identified: the first, in the 1980s, characterised by urban public policies focused on housing construction, with the State as the principal agent; and the second, beginning in the 2010s, marked by the resurgence of public housing policies through financing programmes, with the State and private firms as the main agents. Furthermore, the study observes that urban expansion has occurred in a discontinuous manner, as the dynamism of infrastructure, services, and commerce has not kept pace with the physical growth of the city. This has led to the emergence of areas of high technical density and flow, as well as areas of viscosity, thereby reinforcing socio-spatial inequalities. As a result, the research confirms the importance of each economic activity–livestock farming, cotton cultivation, and mining–in this process and in the proliferation of geographical means, as well as the contribution of geographical events, driven by the actions of various agents, to urban expansion through the provision of urban facilities, infrastructure, and housing.