Strategies and participatory processes for local and regional development in the Sepetiba Basin, RJ

Abstract This article presents results of the application of a social cartography tool, based on a plural and participatory approach, to the identification and analysis of the weaknesses and potentials of a peripheral territory in the Sepetiba Basin, State of Rio de Janeiro. The area was investigated through the transformations caused by economic growth and global investment projects. Based on concepts of opaque and bright areas, metropolization and sustainable development, the multi-thematic and multiscale methodology analyses socio-spatial aspects, integrating social and institutional actors in a joint interactive reflection and in the production of prospective scenarios for local development. The article validates the participatory methodological strategy to develop guidelines for the planning of the territory threatened by metropolitan expansion.