Speaker
Description
Participatory planning in Brazil is frequently celebrated as a cornerstone of urban governance designed to foster sociospatial justice. However, its implementation exposes significant ethical and operational challenges. This paper examines how contemporary master plans, developed in the nation’s major metropolises, are influenced by moralized narratives that oversimplify the complexities of urban governance. Emerging during the country’s democratic transition in the late 1980s, the participatory planning paradigm was a direct response to the technocratic dominance of the previous dictatorial regime. This shift institutionalized the belief that public interest could only be genuinely articulated through inclusive, participatory processes. Substantial governmental funding to municipalities supported this vision, positioning master plans as fundamental instruments for addressing historical inequities and advancing urban equity.
Despite its democratic intentions, participatory planning in Brazil often reduces conflicts between grassroots movements advocating for equity and real estate developers pursuing market-driven interests to a binary framing of good versus evil. This reductionist perspective, reinforced by public officials, segments of academia, and media narratives, oversimplifies the multifaceted nature of urban governance. Consequently, confidence in planning’s ability to mediate divergent interests and achieve equitable outcomes has diminished, contributing to broader skepticism about its efficacy.
Within this context, this paper critically analyzes the formulation processes of master plans in Brazil’s metropolises, with a focus on the ethical assumptions underpinning these efforts and their broader implications. By situating Brazil’s experience within wider debates on ethics and justice in planning, the study examines the limitations of participatory frameworks in addressing sociospatial inequalities and explores their potential contributions to more equitable urban futures.
| Keywords | Participatory Planning; Sociospatial Justice; Ethics in planning; Brazil |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
