Housing inequalities in the “repopulation” of the expanded downtown area of the municipality of São Paulo

Abstract This article discusses the long-awaited "repopulation" of the expanded downtown area of the municipality of São Paulo, which occurred between the years 2000 and 2010, driven by the mercantile logic of the capitalist urbanization. It analyzes data on real estate production aimed at medium- and high-income buyers at the expense of the demands of the low-income population. The latter is inserted in "repopulation" trends, seeking to access dwellings in slums and precarious settlements. In addition, the article shows that, in spite of the "repopulation" and demographic inversion that took place in the expanded downtown area of São Paulo, the population continued to grow in the periphery, albeit at a slow pace, maintaining the levels of household income inequalities that mark the center-periphery model.

摘要 本文探讨了2000至2010年间，受资本主义城市化商业逻辑驱动，圣保罗市扩建中心城区迎来期盼已久的“人口回流”现象。本文分析了面向中高收入购房群体的房地产开发数据，此类开发以牺牲低收入群体的住房需求为代价；而低收入群体虽被卷入此次“人口回流”趋势，却只能在贫民窟与非正式定居点寻求住房。此外，本文研究表明，尽管圣保罗扩建中心城区出现了“人口回流”与人口结构逆转现象，城市外围区域的人口仍以缓慢增速持续增长，且维系了标志着中心-外围模式的家庭收入不平等水平。