Reviewing the use of IBGE data for research and land planning: reflections on the classification of the urban and rural situation

Abstract This article discusses the classification of census tracts, according to their urban or rural situation, proposed by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The contributions that this classification brings to urban planning are explored, and the limits and possibilities of the use of these data to map the contemporary urban expansion and to structure the territory beyond the urban-rural divide are emphasized. Users of census information should know the method used by the IBGE to construct cartographic databases utilized during collection. In addition, users should reflect on how IBGE data can be employed in the construction of public policies, highlighting the relevance of the collected information and stressing the role of municipalities in initiatives to develop improved databases in order to obtain better results in the next census.