Abstract

TIMMERS, Juliano da Costa Machado  and  SOBARZO, Oscar. The clash of urban utopias: renovation projects for the waterfront of lake Guaiba in Porto Alegre. Estudios Socioterritoriales [online]. 2013, vol.13. ISSN 1853-4392.

In this paper, we analyze different projects of urban renewal, currently under discussion in Porto Alegre, that aim to renovate the waterfront of the lake Guaíba. The study of the changes planned for this area is undertaken against the backdrop of urbanization processes that have reached a global scope, as the city has become fertile ground for capitalist reproduction. We examine the issue, then, by taking into account the main features of the production of urban space today. We then describe a section of the city that is targeted for a host of changes in its urban design. Finally, we identify the main projects of urban renewal and the contrasting city utopias they represent, paying special attention to the concerted actions of real estate business groups and local government officials.

Keywords : Urban utopias; Production of urban space; Urban revitalization.

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