A conflagração do espaço: a tensa relação porto-cidade no planejamento urbano

ABSTRACT This paper proposes to motivate a debate on the relation between ports and cities, acknowledging the growing tension that marks the presence of these structures in the urban fabric and its connections with the planning instruments of cities. The paper’s construction started by ascertaining a problem that severely affects some major Brazilian cities, namely, the coexistence of activities of the tertiary and habitation sectors with the ports. The debate was enriched by a theoretical review that sought to establish connections between themes correlated with the problem raised, as well as by official documents from several subnational levels of government. Furthermore, we considered data related to studies and researches developed by actors that operate directly in the ports. It was found that part of this problem derives from an institutional architecture by which the central government creates policies for the port sector without considering the impact these initiatives will have on the urban environment.