Singularities and Similarities of Amazonia's Small Towns: A Comparative Analysis of Urban Categorizations and Typologies of the Amazon Estuary-Delta Region
Abstract / Resumen / Resumo
The Brazilian Amazon Estuary-Delta (AED) covers an area of over 160,000 km2 and includes forty-nine mostly small urban centers. Despite development hurdles, these small towns are hubs of social and economic life. This paper has a twofold goal: to present a review of typologies developed to categorize urban areas in Brazil, and the Amazon region in particular; and to assess the extent to which these different typologies can be used to distinguish the singularities of small towns in the region. Most typologies do not capture the diversity of urban realities in the region; this needs to be considered in public policy programs.
O Estuário-Delta Amazônico Brasileiro (AED) abrange uma área de mais de 160.000 km2 e inclui quarenta e nove centros urbanos, em sua maioria de pequeno porte. Apesar dos obstáculos de desenvolvimento, essas cidades são centros de vida social e econômica. Este artigo tem um duplo objetivo: apresentar uma revisão das tipologias desenvolvidas para a categorização das áreas urbanas no Brasil, e na região amazônica em particular; e avaliar em que medida as diferentes tipologias são capazes de distinguir as singularidades das pequenas cidades da região. A maioria das tipologias não capta a diversidade de realidades urbanas da região, o que deveria ser considerado em programas de políticas públicas.
Recommended Citation
Carmo, Monique Bruna Silva do; Costa, Sandra Maria Fonseca da; and Brondizio, Eduardo S.
(2023)
"Singularities and Similarities of Amazonia's Small Towns: A Comparative Analysis of Urban Categorizations and Typologies of the Amazon Estuary-Delta Region,"
Journal of Latin American Geography
22(1): 116-142.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/lag.2023.a899556
Available at:
https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/15/article/899556
Figure 1 – Location of the Amazon River Estuary-Delta
Brazilian Typologies.jpg (6715 kB)
Figure 2 – Brazilian Typologies applied to AED cities
historical typologies.emf (51693 kB)
Figure 3 – Brazilian Typologies Applied to AED Cities
Typologies.jpg (2676 kB)
Figure 4 – Urban typology proposed for small cities of the AED
