Thoughts on the urban structure of the recent urban plans in São Paulo (1968-2016)

Abstract This article aims to present a cross-sectional analysis of the urban structure proposals established in the plans formulated for the municipality of São Paulo between 1968, with the publication of the Basic Urban Plan (PUB), and 2016, with the establishment of the last Land Use and Occupation Law. PUB was considered as a starting point because it contains, in its conception, relevant aspects of thinking about urban planning in São Paulo and the clear definition of a future urban structure. The research sought to make this comparative analysis considering the graphic contents used in the selected plans. Graphical semiology was the method used to build conceptual schemes that standardize the proposals, seeking to bring greater precision regarding the established conceptual positioning, demonstrating, on the one hand, how the theoretical models, at the moments when the plans were elaborated, dialogued with the problems socioeconomic conditions, and on the other, as they have been recurring over time.