Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: BETY JAKELINY MENDES ÁLVARES

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : BETY JAKELINY MENDES ÁLVARES
DATE: 25/08/2026
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Sala virtual
TITLE:

"COME AND SEE JUST HOW MUCH OUR POTENGI IS": THE RIVER AS A LANDMARK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IN NATAL, RIO GRANDE DO NORTE.

KEY WORDS:

Tourism and Regional Development. Urban rivers. Revitalization of urban rivers. Critical Tourism.

PAGES: 73
BIG AREA: Ciências Sociais Aplicadas
AREA: Turismo
SUMMARY:

This research is motivated primarily by an interest in studying Tourism and Regional Development from the perspective of the leading role played by rivers, especially our "great river of the north" - Potengi. This field, which points toward the direction of the chosen discussion, directly engages with Environmental, Territorial and Tourism Planning from a critical perspective, present since the formulation of the research question: How can the values of critical tourism be incorporated into the revitalization processes of urban rivers, in such a way as to make the river a protagonist of the city, a generator of encounters and quality of life for its citizens, rather than benefiting only the productive chain? To answer it, four specific objectives were defined: a) Compile and evaluate the regulatory framework governing the estuary; b) Diagnose, through participatory mapping, the uses and occupations of the estuary and the needs and desires of the actors involved; c) Analyze the case of the Emscher River, seeking to understand which resources were used to transform it into a successful example of urban river requalification; d) Establish premises, categories and values to support a requalification plan for the Potengi River estuary. These specific aspects of what we aim for in our research journey are based on the general objective, namely: "To present how the revitalization of the Potengi River estuary in Natal, based on a multi- and transdisciplinary approach that integrates urban, environmental and tourism planning, can reverse its function as a boundary and obstacle to become a landmark for encounters and an inducer of development and leisure for the local population and for Tourism". Regarding the methodological organization, this is research with a qualitative approach and documentary typology, associated with a Critical Analysis of Tourism, given its flexibility and its ability to allow the researcher to observe and understand the research object in greater depth. The strategy chosen to answer the research question is a Case Study, with the Potengi River, located in Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte, as its protagonist. As a data analysis technique, Content Analysis is intended to be used, according to Bardin (2011), supported by Discourse Analysis, inspired by Foucault (1971), to understand the historical constitution of legislation and projects that have previously been proposed for the Potengi River and its surroundings. The theoretical dialogue that constitutes one of the pillars of our thesis is grounded in discussions concerning public policies dedicated to water resources, urban land-use planning and use, and the protection of natural attributes; in line with the association of these three fields of knowledge, the various nomenclatures used when dealing with projects for improving water bodies in urban areas will be addressed, as well as the direction adopted by the present research. Regarding the research results and their respective analyses, they are currently under development at this stage of our studies.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externa à Instituição - LUCIANA RODRIGUES FAGNONI COSTA TRAVASSOS
Interno - 2092504 - MICHEL JAIRO VIEIRA ARAUJO DA SILVA
Presidente - 2578221 - MOZART FAZITO REZENDE FILHO
Externo à Instituição - STEPHAN TREUKE
Externa à Instituição - VANICE SANTIAGO FRAGOSO SELVA