The City Statute of Brazil : a commentary

Abstract

With their urbanization transition virtually complete, many Latin American cities have been increasingly responding to the challenge of overcoming a legacy of decades of social exclusion. In Brazil, years of pressure by social movements have pushed the issue of urban access and equity to the top of the political and developmental agendas. Confronted with the divisions created by one of the most unequal societies in the world, Brazil´s response was to change the Constitution in order to bring about long-term fundamental reform of the urban dynamic. National and city governments are now responding to the deep social and spatial divisions that characterize Brazilian cities and, indeed, cities of all sizes in many parts of the world. Wealthy neighborhoods benefiting from modern infrastructure, open spaces, cultural and sporting amenities, coexist with marginal settlements and vast slums, with little or no infrastructure, insecure tenure, and with their inhabitants exposed to the disastrous effects of extreme weather. For many years, only parts of Brazilian cities attracted the attention of planners, services provided by the city authorities and an unfair share of local budgets. The Brazilian Government signaled its intentions by creating the Ministry of Cities in 2003. The new Ministry was given the responsibility of helping states and municipalities to consolidate a new urban development model embracing housing, sanitation and urban transport. Within the Ministry, the National Secretariat for Urban Programs was charged with supporting the implementation of the City Statute. 2003 was also the year that the Ministry of Cities led the way for Brazil to become the first developing country to join the Cities Alliance. The present publication, prepared jointly by the Ministry of Cities and the Cities Alliance, is a first attempt to provide an account of the experiences and concepts guiding Brazil's effort to overcome urban inequality. The centerpiece of these efforts is the City Statute, a unique ground-breaking legal instrument conceived by the widespread urban reform movement in Brazil.