Planejamento urbano em pequenos municípios brasileiros: referências, experiências e caminhos para seu fortalecimento

Abstract

This study addresses urban and territorial planning in small Brazilian municipalities, defined as those with a population of less than 20,000 inhabitants. Although they do not account for the largest share of the country's population, these municipalities represent the majority in Brazil and occupy most of the national territory, making it essential that they have adequate planning processes in place. However, it is observed that a significant portion of these municipalities lacks territorial planning instruments and processes, as, according to the City Statute – Federal Law No. 10.257/2001, many are exempt from preparing a Master Plan, which is considered the basic instrument of urban policy under the 1988 Federal Constitution. In this context, the present work aims to explore ways to strengthen urban planning and territorial management in small Brazilian municipalities. To this end, in a first stage, a set of normative and institutional references was analyzed, allowing the identification of the basic and fundamental elements for urban planning, particularly in small municipalities. Subsequently, a case study was developed, reflecting the experience of the State of Paraná, which has promoted the valorization and encouragement of urban planning across all its municipalities. Fifteen small municipalities in Paraná were examined, selected based on criteria such as population growth rates above the state average and higher per capita GDP. These municipalities were chosen due to their dynamic territorial transformations. The study revealed that the observed transformations in these municipalities were influenced by the planning instruments and processes adopted, demonstrating the effectiveness of these tools. At the end of the work, the proposal for a Simplified Municipal Territorial Planning System is presented as a central strategy for strengthening territorial planning in small Brazilian municipalities.