Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: GESSOM BRENNER MORAIS DA COSTA

UNDERSTANDING URBANIZATION IN APODI/RN: AN ANALYSIS FROM THE FREE MARKET

Free market; Urban space; Technical-scientific-informational environment; Apodi-RN.

It is clear that street markets are spaces that give a social, economic and cultural character to the most varied cities. As a result of the changes made to the structures of the street markets, these spaces have undergone changes which include renewed dynamics. The urban space is articulated and produced by a number of agents who are directly involved in its expansion and modernization. In this way, this research aims to understand the importance of the open market in the current technical-scientific-informational environment for the constitution of Apodi's urban space. Methodologically, this research consists, in the first instance, of a bibliographical survey based on the literature, relating to urban space, as well as free markets, especially the one in Apodi-RN. Structured and semi-structured interviews were also carried out with the vendors who make up the street market. As a result, certain structural and organizational changes were observed, as well as a change in the dynamics of buying and selling at the free market, which, with the use of technology and the presence of more modern spaces, favors the local and regional prominence of Apodi's urban area.