Transformações espaciais decorrentes da expansão imobiliária: uma análise a partir da Zona Norte de Natal

Abstract

This research, integrated into the research line Territorial Dynamics in The Graduate Program in Geography at the Federal University of Pará, has as study object the real estate expansion through gated communities. The research was conducted in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Brazil, more specifically in the North Zone of the city, which is the most populous area and has the largest territorial extension. The North Zone was the city area that had the slowest urban growth, receiving investments that modified its structure and service offerings only from the 2000s. This favored real estate speculation, giving rise to the first projects of gated communities in the North administrative Region of Natal, which appeared later compared to the South and East Zones that experienced their real estate boom in the early 1990s. The overall objective of the research is to analyze to what extent the production of gated communities in the North Zone of Natal contributes to the expansion of the real estate sector in the city. To achieve this, three specific objectives have been defined: firstly, to discuss the historical background, related to a present analysis, regarding the spatial changes that have occurred since the 2000s in the study area and their connection to housing production and the gated communities; secondly, to analyze how real estate production unfolds in the North One; and finally, to present the effects of real estate expansion through gated communities on the structuring of services, both before and after the arrival of gated residential communities in the North Zone. It is a quali-quantitative research, and to achieve the objectives, exploratory research will be user. The data collection procedures employed include literature review, data collection at the real estate registry office, semi-structured interviews conducted with representatives of the construction companies responsible for the development of the projects, and interviews with merchants who have establishments in the vicinity of the condominiums. The research considered gated residential communities in the North Zone that were delivered between 2010 and 2023 (with real estate incorporation registration), as well as commercial establishments located within up to 500 meters from the condominiums. This approach aims to understand the role of these transformative agents in the urban space of the North Administrative Region. By investigating the construction of these condominiums, the research focused on analyzing whether they contributed to the transformations that occurred in the North Zone. Ultimately, the goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how gated communities participate in the process of real estate expansion.