COASTAL URBANIZATION AND THE GROWTH OF MARITIME SECOND HOMES IN THE METROPOLISES OF NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Abstract

The increased values accrued by coastal developments and investments and the diffusion of modern maritime practices in the tropics are changing the logic of occupation and management of the coastal areas of Northeastern Brazil. Living by the sea, either permanently or occasionally, has become fashionable and this habit now requires the re-dimensioning of urban areas that were once predominantly inward-looking. Two movements are analyzed here: 1) the “discovery” of beach zones by those who own or rent second homes; 2) the spreading of the city limits. In the latter movement, it is possible to identify a change from a spontaneous practice associated with an adventurous spirit to a more recent trend that privileges real-estate private investments, both national and international. The ever-expanding coastline of the metropolises of the Brazilian Northeast is an important outcome of such processes.