Inequalities and socio-spatial segregation in medium cities. The case of Blumenau, SC

Abstract

Seeking to contribute to the understanding of inequalities present in medium-sized Brazilian cities, this article reports partial results of a research that aimed to analyze the process of consolidation of socio-spatial segregation in Blumenau, an industrial municipality in Santa Catarina. We sought to identify the socio-spatial dynamics by income extremes, as well as the environmental, economic, political, social and significant public investments involved in territorial disputes. The investigation focused between the 1980s and 2020s, when changes in economic policies and in the productive structure increased socio-spatial inequalities. The investigations showed changes in socio-spatial dynamics, with a significant increase in informality and displacement of the poorest strata to peripheral and precarious areas, and the concentration of the highest strata in central neighborhoods with better infrastructure. The conclusions indicate that the consolidation of spatial segregation in the conurbated area of ​​Blumenau had a significant influence on the previous location of the industries, the frequent environmental disasters and the unequal distribution of public investments. This study aims to understand the dynamics of spatial inequalities in medium-sized cities, considering their historical and socioeconomic specificities, as well as the challenges and actions necessary to ensure their reduction, territorial inclusion and social justice.

Keywords: urban segregation, medium-sized cities, intra-urban dynamics, socio-spatial inequalities