Sensitive approach to slum upgrading process: The case of Vale dos Guedes

Laura Santos Granja

Letícia Maria de Araújo Zambrano

ABSTRACT: The article presents the methodology and results of a study that developed guidelines for a sustainable urban requalification proposal to the settlement called Vale dos Guedes, located in Juiz de Fora – MG. The idea has its origin in questions about the way the slum upgrading process has been conducted in Brazil. We started with the assumption that the process of gathering information to the project is generally based on technical issues, while the opinions and perceptions of residents are left on the background. Therefore, this study emphasizes the work on sensitive aspects of the diagnostic process for an urban intervention project, crossing the opinions of local residents with the technical survey, also required to obtain a more complete diagnostic of the environment. That way we can get a more socially sustainable urban planning. In a first moment, we have a historical context of the squatter settlements in Brazil and theoretical studies on sensitive and technical approaches that must be held for requalification projects. Then, the context of the city of Juiz de Fora was studied, focusing on the settlement Vale dos Guedes, and a field research was conducted, which have resulted on the development of projective guidelines.

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