Real estate development for the city of natal using geographic information system
real estate development, georeferencing, urban sprawl
In the past decades, real estate involvement in the occupancy process of urban space has been growing. This phenomenon emerges from both the demographic growth and economic changes Brazil went through in the past 30 years. Such facts, combined with a lack of accurate geographic information about Rio Grande do Norte’s real state, create obstacles on strategic decision making for the city, by both public administration and private enterprise. In front of this perspective, searching for new alternatives and technologies that aim to facilitate processing current data is necessary for optimizing real state analysis in Natal/RN. Therefore, this study aims making a first approach on spatial distribution of developments from 1990 up to 2015 found in real estate registry offices in Natal/RN, using tools based on Geographic Information System. For so, it was necessary georeferencing all developments registered in the period through an existing database, Geographic Information System software and satellite images. Using such methodology confirmed an increase on verticalization during the period, especially in Lagoa Nova, Tirol, Ponta Negra and Capim Macio neighborhoods, as well as a concentration of small units in peripheral areas. The municipality’s southern zone (Zona Sul) stands out for its intense housing production, confirming a need for expanding urban infrastructure and services. Finally, using georeferencing tools contributed in determining the city’s main growth vectors.