Brazilian metropolises: their urban challenges and their perspectives

Abstract

This article analyzes brazilian metropolises from the perspective of their urban issues and shows their potentialities. The analysis finds that, despite of the great differences among the 26 brazilian metropolises, they all have a similar set of change dynamics. To understand these dynamics, the article focuses on the changes that are part of the process that creates such metropolises, and on the changes that occur as the metropolis acquires new characteristics, both in the consolidated downtown areas and in the new spatial arrangements at the intercity and regional levels. The article emphasizes that during the last two decades of the 20th century, brazilian metropolises increased their double role as agents and arenas of the socioeconomic, political and territorial change process experienced by the regions in which they are located. Deemed a great wealth of the nation, the metropolitan urban framework has the potential to create a unified and connected metropolitan urban network in its territory. This network will rise from more intense and permanent exchanges at various levels, ranging from cultural to economic. The article points out that it is necessary to draw a metropolitan policy for the national territory, based on the strengthening of large infrastructure systems, so that the present" set of metropolises" becomes a genuine" metropolitan network."