The urban landscape transformations of the Nossa Senhora das Dores neighborhood in Santa Maria, RS city

Abstract The landscape is characterized as a category of Geography analysis; therefore, it contributes to the comprehension and valuation of socio-spatial transformations produced by different actors, as well as related to economic, cultural relationships, and also the physical-natural aspects of each place. It is emphasized that this analysis category is not defined based on materiality, but in subjectivity. In this perspective, this work aimed to analyze the landscape transformations of Nossa Senhora das Dores neighborhood, located in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. It is characterized as populated by Italian families, which contributed to its growth and development. The research was methodologically structured in stages: literature review; data collect; field work; analysis and results interpretation. It is emphasized that the main landscape transformations occurred initially in the 1980s, both in physical and in socioeconomic order, due to the creation of the Clube Recreativo Dores and the expansion of Nossa Senhora das Dores Avenue, which connects the east side of the city with the downtown area. In the 1990s another moment of expansion begins with the construction of the Royal Plaza Shopping, which was inaugurated in 2010. These changes affected the urban landscape and the lives of people, in view of the loss characteristics as tranquility and community life and, at the same time, the existence of new attractions in the place.