Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

New (Sub)Urbanism and Old Inequalities in Brazilian Gated Communities

2011; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 16; Issue: 03 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/13574809.2011.571160

1469-9664

Fernando Lara,

Global Urban Networks and Dynamics

Abstract In the last decade there has been a noticeable growth of suburban developments in Brazil, mostly gated communities, to the point that it has become a trend in the country's architecture and urbanism. These communities can be perceived as a loud response to urban violence, but are also increasingly anchored in a certain nostalgia that has gained space in the imagination of the Brazilian upper classes. In such an exclusionary climate, this study questions the future of Brazilian cities—should gated communities continue to be presented as the main solution to urban problems? The paper discusses these issues based upon the growth of gated communities in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and their questionable affiliation with New Urbanism, using the Alphaville Lagoa dos Ingleses project as a case study. Acknowledgements The author wishes to thank Robert Fishman for many conversations that led to this topic, the anonymous reviewers for their constructive criticism, and JUD editor Michael Southworth for insightful suggestions that were fundamental for refining the argument presented here. Notes 1. Recreational and social clubs play an important role in the Brazilian society. While they provide a place for social encounters, gathering and recreation, their privacy also guarantees that these activities occur amongst members of the same social groups. 2. Cannibalism (canibalismo) is a concept coined by Brazilian writer Oswald de Andrade in his 1928 Manifesto Antropófago (Cannibal manifesto). As a participant in the Modern Movement Week in 1922 and a founder of the Brazilian modern movement, in his manifesto Andrade calls for the adaptation of foreign culture through Brazilian Indian roots of national identity. See The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts—Brazil Theme Issue 1875–1945, 1995; and MacLachlan (Citation2003). 3. For analyses of Brasilia as instrument of social change and aesthetic paradigm, see Evenson (Citation1973), Holston (Citation1989), Fraser (Citation2000) and Del Rio (Citation2009). 4. Various conversations with Vicente Del Rio from 2002 to 2010.