Espraiamento urbano e os impactos na mobilidade urbana: análise teórica da cidade de Santa Maria

Abstract

With increasing population, cities grow horizontally and vertically. Along with this, the demand for urban and transport infrastructure also increases. Such growth, if not well planned and managed, can cause damage to the population and the environment. This paper presents an analysis of the city of Santa Maria, which has an urban occupation in the East-West form and which, together with the car culture, hinder the urban mobility of the municipality. The study is based on the Santa Maria Urban Mobility Master Plan and analyzes the impacts on local urban mobility due to urban sprawl. This study is divided into three parts. The first allows the reader to learn basic concepts for understanding the subject, such as urban planning, urban sprawl, urban mobility and compact cities. The second part addresses two topics intrinsically linked to urban sprawl: social inequality and urbanization of cities. The third and last part presents Santa Maria's analysis. A historical approach is taken - to understand the current urban distribution - by checking for differences in densification and the existence of urban voids. Subsequently, the urban mobility of the city is analyzed, observing the main means of transportation used, the regions with the greatest demand for transportation and the incentives for the use of public transportation and alternative modes. At the end, one can understand the reality of prioritizing the private vehicle experienced in the municipality and observe the main points of improvement in the promotion and encouragement of walkability and the use of public transport.