Pensando as pequenas cidades na Amazônia, cidade da transamazônica Anapu

Abstract

The cities in the Amazon are diverse, both in their urban dynamics and genesis. In the 1960s, Brazil underwent political changes, which triggered several development projects in the Amazon region. The federal government planned and executed the opening of various highways in this region. Concurrently, land distribution led to the migration of many people to the area and the emergence of government-sponsored and spontaneous urban nuclei. Thus, this research is based on the need to conduct case studies on cities that emerged from the Amazon occupation plan. Anapu city, located on the Transamazonian highway, was chosen as the object of analysis, aiming to understand its role and significance for the region and its implications for intra-urban structure. The following methodological procedures were used for the research: a) a survey of the main activities developed in this municipality, based on secondary data, mainly from IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), b) applying questionnaires in the city's commerce, and c) applying questionnaires in the neighborhoods. The main findings indicate that regarding neighborhood structure and basic sanitation services, waste collection is available in virtually all neighborhoods, and the primary water supply method in households is still the Amazonian well. As for property sewage, most owners use septic tanks. Concerning the city's commercial center, the main findings showed that the most relevant economic activities in the commercial center are clothing stores, followed by agricultural supply stores, and thirdly, auto parts stores. The city's commercial area is largely concentrated around the Transamazonian highway (BR-230) and gradually extends into the city's interior. The thesis of this work is that despite the State's efforts to control and plan the production of space through the "rural urbanism" strategy, local agents and subjects, along with emigrants, challenged this imposition by creating spontaneous nuclei.