CRISE URBANA

A EXPROPRIAÇÃO EXTREMA DOS CITADINOS NAS POLÍTICAS DE ESPAÇO

Abstract

Living in a capitalist city means permanently struggling for space. This assertive brings to light the urban crisis that marks today’s urbanization, in which the majority of urban dwellers, and notably those living in poorer countries, are dispossessed of the wealth socially produced. Policies and improvements such as land regularization, social housing and cultural activities, obtained after struggles waged by social movements and organizations, are at risk of being discontinued, especially when the communities they serve are located in business areas. Within a geographical perspective, we propose here a reflection on key aspects of the urban crisis. Our analysis is based on the concept of the production of space, which we understand as a central element in the reproduction of society, affecting both the accumulation of capital and everyday life. Such a framework was developed by authors like Henri Lefebvre and Ana Fani Alessandri Carlos, who view space as simultaneously a condition, a means and a product of society. Grasping how space is produced therefore reveals the nature of social contradictions. Using this framework and focusing on the metropolis of Sao Paulo (Brazil), our paper examines a new strategy of dispossession put in place by the local government in the favela of Nova Guarapiranga. The favela residents’ long history of  struggle has resulted in the implementation of policies that guarantee their right to the land they occupy. However, when seen from the perspective of the global reproduction of the metropolis, Nova Guarapiranga stands in the way of Sao Paulo’s expanding business district – the socalled Southwestern sector of the city. Its strategic location in the city has prompted local governments to justify the need for its removal, thereby creating new conflicts.