THE IDEAL CITY: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF URBAN REVITALIZATION AND PLANNING

Introduction

The notion of "ideal city" should be understood as the existing city, an expression that, although it seems like a mere play on words, has a profound meaning. This concept is central to the work we do, as it constantly reminds us of the prevailing message that the current city is not enough, needing expansion or reconstruction. In Brazil, this perception has persisted for a long time, encompassing metropolises, small and medium-sized cities, always with the idea that new neighborhoods or subdivisions represent an improvement.

Historical Evolution of Urbanism

Historically, urbanism began with the conquest of construction technology, territorial organization and the management of water and basic sanitation systems. With the Industrial Revolution, cities expanded rapidly due to demographic growth and the demand for housing, leading to the emergence of urbanism as a social science at the end of the 19th century. Experiences in cities such as Barcelona, Vienna and Paris contributed to the transition from empirical to scientific knowledge.

Electrification revolutionized cities, allowing the use of elevators and air conditioning, which transformed architecture and urban organization. The expansion of trams was associated with the growth of housing developments, and the challenges of work and housing accompanied the emergence of unions and labor rights. In addition, electrification influenced the media, such as radio and literature, expanding our knowledge but bringing dizzying complexity to cities.

Challenges and Potentials of Modern Cities

Modern cities offer a better quality of life, even in the most vulnerable conditions, compared to the countryside. Urban growth is exponential, especially in Latin American, Asian and Indian cities, which face complex infrastructure and mobility challenges. In Rio de Janeiro, the preservation of the natural landscape, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, reflects the integration between city and nature.

However, urban thinking in Brazil is still strongly influenced by modernism, as exemplified by Le Corbusier's plan for Paris, which proposed the verticalization and reorganization of the city. This thinking profoundly shaped urban organization in Brazil, culminating in the construction of Brasília, which symbolizes the search for freedom and a break with the oligarchic and slave-owning past. However, this idea of freedom is illusory, since social development requires facing historical problems.

Urban Expansion and Planning

The expansion of Brazilian cities was dominated by concepts of amplitude and speed, influenced by technology and politics. The idea of "turning 50 in 5" still resonates in the collective imagination. The marches of June 2013 and other demonstrations in historic centers demonstrate the importance of these spaces as loci of full citizenship. However, historic centers are often neglected, despite containing potential for innovation and urban transformation.

The historic center of Rio de Janeiro, for example, has significant cultural and historical wealth. The integration of historic and modern spaces, such as the Museum of Tomorrow and Cais do Valongo, offers answers to contemporary challenges, from housing to sustainability and social inclusion. Urban heritage should not be seen simply as a preservation of the past, but as a basis for moving forward, promoting quality, accessible and tree-lined public spaces.

Urban Planning and Sustainability

Therefore, urban heritage must be recognized as a valuable resource for the transformation of cities. It provides a cultural and historical foundation that can be used to address current and future challenges, promoting more inclusive, sustainable and integrated urban development. Urban planning is an essential tool for ensuring and fostering the orderly and sustainable local growth of communities, neighborhoods and municipalities, both from an economic and social perspective, in a long-term perspective.

Effective urban planning facilitates public access to basic services and more productive jobs, benefiting companies through a more dynamic labor market. In contrast, rapid and disorderly urban expansion can result in the occupation of space without adequate support from public and private infrastructure, causing a variety of problems, such as traffic congestion, pollution, marginalization of communities, informal housing and other factors that aggravate poverty and inequality.

Best Practices in Urban Planning

Regarding best practices for adequate urban planning, Collier et al. (2023) highlight that an implementable plan should:

1. Prioritize key points, defining clear and achievable objectives, allowing the city to develop gradually.

2. Consider, in the allocation of space and regulation, the dynamics of the local labor market, since a well-connected labor market, by bringing together people with varied and complementary skills, encourages innovation and the generation of jobs, new businesses and cultural amenities.

The authors also emphasize that urban policymakers in cities in developing countries should focus on three main pillars:

1. Improve spatial connectivity: Invest in transport infrastructure and reduce travel time between companies and workers, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing productivity. An example of this is the R$2.6 billion investment in mobility in Rio de Janeiro, announced in August 2023 by the Federal Government in partnership with the city government of Rio.

2. Facilitate the efficient grouping of companies: Implement measures that encourage the formation of specialized clusters and hubs, providing network and productivity gains for companies and proximity to consumers. Several municipal initiatives have sought to specialize areas of the city in certain sectors, such as the Reviver Cultural, Porto Maravalley, ISS Tech and Rua da Cerveja projects.

3. Guarantee affordable housing: Avoid the marginalization of the poorest populations who may be forced to settle in areas with less access to basic infrastructure and spatial connectivity or in informal housing, subject to environmental and social risks. Although initiatives to build affordable housing are typically federal, such as the Minha Casa Minha Vida (MCMV) Program, local policymakers can act indirectly by reducing regulatory barriers that obstruct the expansion of the housing supply.

Optimizing Urban Land Use

Optimizing urban land use is crucial to maintaining long-term dynamism and affordability. There is a documented correlation between productivity and geographic density, as illustrated by Harvard professor Edward Glaeser, who demonstrates a clear relationship between denser and more productive cities in the United States.

Duranton and Puga (2020), in a recent literature review, state that “quantifying the productivity benefits of density has been a central theme in urban economics for decades.” Despite the econometric challenges in inferring causality, there is a consensus that density increases productivity and innovation, improves access to goods and services, reduces the need for transportation, encourages more energy-efficient construction and transportation, and allows for a broader sharing of urban amenities. Abel et al. (2012) estimate that doubling the density of a region can increase the productivity of its inhabitants by about 2% to 4%.

Conclusion

However, there is an optimum density point beyond which the deleterious effects on quality of life outweigh the productivity gains. Therefore, urban planning is necessary to maximize productivity benefits, generating positive externalities, income, jobs and reducing informality and social marginalization of inhabitants. Urban planning should be seen as a vital instrument to promote more inclusive, sustainable and integrated urban development, using cultural and historical heritage as a basis for addressing contemporary challenges.