A dinâmica da expansão urbana no contexto de cidades inteligentes e sustentáveis: o caso do município de Pato Branco – Paraná

Abstract

The way in which rapid urbanization has taken place has changed the ways of thinking about the planning and administration of urban spaces. This process of urbanization influences many factors, such as: urban infrastructure, water supply, housing, mobility. In this sense, the concepts of intelligent and sustainable cities appear as alternatives that contribute to the reflection and practice of city planning. Smart cities have greater administrative and economic efficiency, promote the development of culture and society, and play an important role in terms of technology and innovation in urban space. They have, in fact, a new dynamic of interactivity with space. As far as sustainable cities are concerned, they address social, environmental, political and cultural objectives beyond physical and economic objectives. Therefore, the objective of the research is to understand this relationship through urban expansion and aspects related to innovation and sustainability through urban planning, in addition to understanding how public policies can contribute to this process and how they actually materialize. The research sought to answer the following questions: How does the process of urban expansion occur, and what is the influence of this process on the development of cities? Are the characteristics of intelligent and sustainable cities being considered in the process of urban expansion of present-day cities? The locus of study, refers to the north axis of urban expansion of the Municipality of Pato Branco, State of Paraná. The methodology used consisted of document analysis as a master plan, analysis of data from secondary sources such as IBGE and Ipardes, and semi-structured interviews with relevant actors regarding the axes outlined for this research. Data analysis was based on the content analysis method, through thematic analysis by categories. The results point to disagreements regarding the master plan versus what actually was implemented. However, it also demonstrates that several approaches and actions that have been and are being developed come from political engagement between the municipal, state and federal spheres. In addition, the results point to significant efforts in the implementation of actions aimed at smart and sustainable cities. It is plausible to conclude that urban expansions need to be delineated in urban planning in order to address systemic assessments of their impacts, and public policies need to be well defined for action to be taken.