UPDATE OF THE CÓDIGO DE OBRAS DE CURRAIS NOVOS/RN: PROPOSAL FOR A CLEAR AND EFFICIENT LICENSING STANDARD
Building code; licensing; clear language; urban planning; regulatory governance
The study proposes updating the Código de Obras de Currais Novos/RN, in force since 1979, to address issues of textual ambiguity, unpredictability in licensing, and lack of coherence with recent urban planning instruments. The goal is to develop a clearer and more efficient regulatory framework, materialized as a Produto Técnico-Tecnológico (PTT) consisting of a draft for a new Código de Obras. The approach is applied research, both documental and qualitative, structured in three phases: (i) a literature review with systematic search and selection procedures in the CAPES and SciELO databases on the modernization of codes, licensing, accessibility, and building performance; (ii) diagnosis of the current code through a Legal Compliance Matrix and a Normative Clarity Matrix, supplemented by a textual description of the currently foreseen steps; and (iii) drafting the new code draft and preparing a glossary, document checklists by typology, and textual verification guidelines, followed by an internal review with reapplication of the Clarity Matrix. The expected contribution is to increase decision-making predictability, reduce rework, and strengthen legal security and transparency in the municipal licensing process. Additionally, it aims to offer a replicable methodological path for municipalities of similar size.