The recovery of urban capital gains and the materialization of socio-spatial justice in Bogotá (Colombia) and Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Abstract

The present paper brings an analysis between land value capture and the materialization of socio-spatial justice in Bogotá (Colombia) and in São Paulo (Brazil), by the exploration of two relevant cases: Equitable Distribution of Charges and Benefits (Distribución Equitativa de Cargas y Beneficios – DECB –in Spanish) in Bogotá, and the Consortiated Urban Operation Água Espraiada (Operação Urbana Consorciada Água Espraiada – OUCAE –, in portuguese) in São Paulo. The key research question seeks to answer if in the DECB in Bogotá and in the OUCAE in São Paulo advances were made in the materialization of social and spatial justice, based on the progress that has been made in decreasing five specific problems related to particular features of urbanization and development in Latin America: 1. The reduction of private appropriation of land value resulting from public action; 2. The consolidation of concepts as onerous granting of the right to build, and equitable distribution of burdens and benefits; 3. The shift of the uneven and often inequitable patterns of distribution of urban infrastructure; 4. The minimization of negative effects of socio-spatial segregation; and 5. The decrease of informality in access to urban land. For the purpose presented above, it was assumed at first that progress was made in the materialization of socio-spatial justice forms in Bogotá and in São Paulo, mainly, because during its implementation, Land value capture was considered as a process that involves actions before and after recovery and in which the distributive principle and the redistributive goal prevails in both case studies. The methodology used a comparative analysis within three levels of analysis: First, at the general level, were examined concepts, laws and instruments related to the subject of research in Colombia and Brazil; second, at the specific level, the impact of land value capture instruments studied in the materialization of socio-spatial justice in Bogotá and São Paulo was analyzed in three moments: a) the action prior to recovery, b) the action of recovery, and c) the post-recovery action.  Finally, at the synthesis level, a comparison of the results in the materialization of socio-spatial justice is made. As a result, it was possible to observe that, the hypothesis proposed was partially confirmed; as, in the first action, prior the recovery of land value capture, it was observed that it is characterized by the unequal distribution of urban infrastructure and the differential value of land, which leads to the need to define mechanisms that seek the reduction of inequalities in the distribution of income and wealth in society.  In the second action, the recovery of the land value capture, progress was made in the fight against private appropriation of land value and in the consolidation of the distributive principle. Finally, it was found that a practical contribution resulting from the post-recovery action of land value capture, it is related to the idea that the resources obtained must be primarily allocated to serve the population with lower incomes, either in the same areas where the projects were carried out, as well, in the other areas of the municipality that are not benefited by general budgets of Latin American cities.