Planning, management and participation: the urban politics and struggles for territory.

Abstract

As a result of research undertaken during Master Degree Studies in 2007, and also professional experiences in urban planning process, this article focuses Votuporanga Municipality, a middle sized city in northwest region of São Paulo State, Brazil. Master plans for the municipality are evaluated - 1971, 1995 and 2006, in their historical, political environmental and social context. The evolution and modifications of planning and urban management in Brazil are presented, mainly the participatory process during re-democratization period, which has been resulting in modifications of the federal, state and local bylaws. The research is based on bibliography review, analyses of documents and legislation, territorial studies with georrefered data, interviews and field researches for environmental modifications and impacts.