Peripheral Centralities
PIU Arco Jurubatuba and Real Estate Speculation in the South Zone of São Paulo: Struggles and Resistance
Peripheral Centralities investigates the anticipated impacts of the Jurubatuba Arch Urban Intervention Project (PIU-ACJ) on the transformation of the south zone of São Paulo City. This large strategic redevelopment project along the Pinheiros, Guarapiranga, and Jurubatuba Rivers aims to remake an area home to an estimated 150,000 residents, with many living in Special Zones of Social Interest (ZEIS) and confronting pressing housing and environmental challenges. The PIU will increase the population, create new jobs and economic activities, and provide social housing and public facilities. At the same time, this large urban transformation will have a major impact on the local informal precarious settlements and popular communities, which will once again face the threat of displacement and dispossession.
Working with our local partners, students in this Public Design Corps section engaged in the co-production of maps (and counter maps) and the documentation of sites and local narratives supporting community efforts to secure the right to housing and minimize displacement of vulnerable populations across the PIU-AJ. Fieldwork in São Paulo took place from May 24 to June 11, 2024, and apart from the documentation of sites and communities across the PIU-ACJ, PDC students focused on developing widely accessible visual materials, creating online platforms and educational media, presenting the preliminary research findings to the communities, and supporting the organization of the 4th Encontro de Favelas e Ocupações da Zona Sul.
This academic initiative builds on a collaboration with União dos Movimentos de Moradia (UMM), Centro Gaspar Garcia de Direitos Humanos, Defensoria Pública do Estado de São Paulo and Peabiru Trabalhos Comunitários e Ambientais, and a large network of local partners. The project departs from design exercises where reading urban conditions and framing problems leads to proposals as contingent solutions in place and time. Instead, students participate in the quest for urban justice by joining ongoing efforts by community partners and contributing our design skills to advocate for more humane urbanisms.
This website gives access to the materials developed as part of the course and offers additional links to learn more about the partnering organizations. While we have provided English translations for some of the content, the original materials accessible through Instagram, issuu, and videos on Vimeo are in Portuguese.
Os Planos de Intervenção Urbana (PIUs) são os estudos técnicos que direcionam a transformação e reestruturação urbana na cidade de São Paulo. As mudanças propostas afetam grandes áreas urbanas e as populações que nelas vivem, e se desenvolvem em processos que podem durar décadas.
Para obter mais informações, consulte este link:
https://gestaourbana.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/estruturacao-territorial/piu/
O PIU Arco Jurubatuba (PIU ACJ), Lei Nº 17.965, de 19 de junho de 2023, é um plano que orienta a transformação urbana de uma grande área ao longo dos rios Pinheiros, Guarapiranga e Jurubatuba, na cidade de São Paulo. O objetivo do plano é fazer melhor uso do solo e atualizar a infraestrutura urbana. O PIU ACJ se estende às subprefeituras de Santo Amaro, Cidade Ademar, Campo Limpo, Mboi Mirim e Capela do Socorro e será desenvolvido por meio de três diferentes Áreas de Intervenção Urbana (AIU): Vila Andrade, Jurubatuba e Interlagos.
Para obter mais informações, consulte este link:
https://gestaourbana.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/piu-arco-jurubatuba/
O PIU ACJ será desenvolvido por meio de três diferentes Áreas de Intervenção Urbana (AIU) que compreendem porções de território destinadas à reestruturação, transformação, recuperação e melhoria ambiental: Vila Andrade, Jurubatuba, e Interlagos.Para obter mais informações sobre as AIUs, consulte este LINK:
https://gestaourbana.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/estruturacao-territorial/areas-de-intervencao-urbana/
A AIU Vila Andrade é predominantemente residencial, com enormes disparidades socioeconômicas. Na parte leste, o Morumbi, um dos bairros mais exclusivos da cidade, tem valores de terra muito altos e exerce forte pressão imobiliária. Na parte oeste, grandes populações vivem em favelas e comunidades populares sem acesso a serviços urbanos básicos.
O AIU VA busca qualificar esse espaço urbano e articular programas habitacionais. As ações mais importantes são a reestruturação de estradas, uma nova rede ambiental de áreas verdes e o fornecimento de moradias sociais. Todas essas melhorias exigirão a demolição e o deslocamento de bairros inteiros ao longo das principais linhas de fornecimento de eletricidade e gás. Garantir que todas as famílias afetadas sejam realojadas é uma prioridade fundamental para grupos comunitários e movimentos de moradia.
AIU Jurubatuba inclui duas centralidades metropolitanas importantes: o maior polo de empregos e serviços da metrópole (Faria Lima, Luís Carlos Berrini e Chucri Zaidan e a área densa caracterizada pela Av. Santo Amaro e pela Linha 5 Lilás do Metrô. A AIU JU tem como objetivo expandir o adensamento ao longo do Rio Jurubatuba e do Canal Guarapiranga. Nessa área, a expansão e a criação de novas vias, como a extensão da Marginal Pinheiros, melhorarão a conectividade, mas também impactarão as comunidades existentes. Outras obras públicas incluem intervenções em parques, melhorias na drenagem e ampliação da infraestrutura para bicicletas.
Os alunos documentaram os desenvolvimentos na área, especialmente na Comunidade do Pantanal, às margens do Rio Guarapiranga. Durante a reunião da comunidade, os moradores compartilharam que estão acompanhando os planos do governo municipal com mais atenção e preocupação. Embora as melhorias rodoviárias propostas possam ajudar a mitigar as inundações causadas pela drenagem deficiente na área, a falta de informações gera preocupações sobre os possíveis impactos negativos.
A Área de Intervenção Urbana (AIU) Interlagos está inserida em um perímetro de 376 hectares, abriga a pista de corrida do Autódromo José Carlos Pace, sedia do Grande Prêmio do Brasil, e tem densidades de construção mais baixas, mais espaço aberto e remanescentes de pastagem de gado e áreas verdes ao longo do rio. O principal objetivo da AIU IN é integrar o Autódromo com seus arredores a partir de uma série de intervenções públicas. As comunidades locais serão impactadas pela extensão da Marginal Pinheiros, pela criação de novos parques e praças, eixos ambientais, ciclovias sobre rios e córregos e leitos de drenagem.
The Vila Andrade UIA will affect 19 favelas and 5 nuclei, impacting the livelihoods of more than 4,900 families.
In the Jurubatuba UIA, more than 3,300 families living in 10 favelas and 3 nuclei will be affected. In Interlagos, 6 favelas and 2 nuclei will be affected, affecting 1,200 families.
In Interlagos, 6 favelas and 2 nuclei will be affected, affecting 1,200 families.
The Nova Marginal Pinheiros highway project extends the existing thoroughfare south, adding 8 km along the Pinheiros River’s west bank. With an estimated R$1.7 billion budget that promises to reduce congestion, improve connectivity, flooding response and travel times, it comprises 3 southbound lanes, 5 new bridges, and 18 connection points to existing streets. The implementation will require the relocation of numerous ENEL and CTEEP towers and power line segments and will require substantial groundworks.
The project was approved following amendments to the City’s Master Plan reclassifying the area from a Zona Especial de Proteção Ambiental (ZEPAM), for the preservation and protection of environmental heritage, to a Zona Eixo de Estruturação da Transformação Metropolitana (ZEM), where construction and bonus densities are allowed. The intervention lies within the Area of Urban Intervention Jurubatuba, part of the PIU ACJ, and the lack of details on the anticipated displacement this large infrastructure will cause adds to the concerns that favelas and occupations dwellers in the area already have.
The Marginal Pinheiros extension has faced strong resistance from activists and residents who oppose the disruption of 130 hectares of a riverside green space designated for an urban park in previous planning initiatives. Opponents claim the project runs counter to contemporary urban sustainability and climate action mandates. While the implementation is currently suspended by the Tribunal de Contas do Município (TCM), Mayor Nunes remains fully committed to the project as a cornerstone achievement of his administration, and faces reelection this year. Neighborhoods impacted by the project include Jardim São Luís, Vila Socorro, Viela Bayer, Socorro, Jardim Marabá, Vila Santa Maria, Vila da Paz, Nicarágua, Autódromo I & II, and Manuel De Teffe.
If the PIU Arco Jurubatuba aims to remake the areas along the Pinheiros, Guarapiranga and Jurubatuba Rivers, the Linear Parks along the Billings Reservoir follow a similar pattern. Part of the Programa Mananciais for the protection of the Guarapiranga e Billings watersheds, the linear parks aim to turn the precarious settlements along the shorelands into parks, removing sewage discharges and upgrading infrastructure.
Following the blueprint of the Cantinho do Ceu Linear Park, the Linear Park Ribeirão Cocaia includes 9 stages and anticipates the displacement of more than 2,500 residents currently living in the area. While this project will bring sanitation and better transportation and recreational infrastructures, community members are anxious over the anticipated displacement and the lack of alternative housing options and proper compensation. Additional plans for the expansion of the water taxis and bus terminals will increase the number of displaced families in the area.
This is the common denominator for families in the large areas impacted by the Parque Linear do Ribeirão Cocaia and the PIU Arco Jurubatuba. The municipal government’s lack of communication and transparency regarding official plans add to the abandonment and uncertainty many families face. Land has become a commodity and housing a financial asset and the real estate pressures are starting to be felt in the South Periphery.
< Before becoming law and moving on to implementation, PIUs follow long processes that can take years and must involve the participation of society. The timeline shows this path from the first formulation of the PIU ACJ in the 2014 PDE, its temporary halt in 2018 due to the lack of specificity in the housing plans for the populations of the zones of special social interest (ZEIS) and the environmental impacts, to the present day.
The timeline also collects information on other relevant elements in the development of urban plans and shows the continuity of mayors during this period.
With the theme “Struggles and Resistance in the Southern Region,” the 4th Meeting of Favelas and Occupations in São Paulo’s South Periphery brought together 110 leaders and community members, the Public Defensor’s Office, housing movements, technical consultancies, universities, and research laboratories at the Metropolitan Curia in Santo Amaro, São Paulo, on June 24, 2024.
The day started with holding hands and dancing in a circle to the music of Zé Vicente. Dona Olga Quiroga led the mystic and invited all to sing “é moradia, moradia é moradia…” Inspired and energized, the opening words resonated loudly: “A moradia é a porta de entrada para todos os outros direitos”.”
The Encontros are opportunities for communities to come together, share their experiences and struggles, and learn from each other. Community-based projects developed in collaboration with academic partners are presented so everybody can engage. Two projects are on display this time: “Calor e Moradia Auto Construida” investigates techniques to counter heat in favelas and occupations, and the “PIU Arco Jurubatuba and ZEIS” visualizes the impacts for favela and occupation dwellers in the Special Zones of Social Interest.
The morning session delved deeper into the ongoing threats of the PIU Arco Jurubatuba and the rampant real estate speculation affecting São Paulo’s South Periphery. Panel participants included public defender Taissa Pinheiro, popular lawyer Vitor Iglesias, Vila Andrade’s community leader Tereza Arrais, and professors Kazuo Nakano and María Arquero. The conversation delved deeper into community mobilization tactics since 2018 to ensure housing provision for favela and occupation dwellers in ZEIS, providing key facts and resources for continued mobilization.
After the panel, community leaders and residents from the region shared their own struggles and the importance of organizing and collective action. Residents from communities in Grajaú shared similar stories of uncertainty and dispossession regarding the municipal plans to implement linear parks in the Billings Reservoir. In all cases, participants underscored the need for more frequent, smaller working meetings to decrease knowledge gaps, amplify community voices, and challenge the flawed participatory process set by the municipal government.
With Andre do Silva from MDF, and Larisa Hiratsuka from Peabiru moderating the session, the group discussed socio-political training and mobilization, community life, and strengthening participation in AIU and ZEIS management councils. Community members voiced concerns regarding the PIU impacts on community and local culture, and the need to gain legal knowledge to better defend communities’ rights. The group called to foster community life and engagement, reclaiming gathering spaces and sharing resources on transport networks, social assistance, health, and education.
Moderated by architect and urban planner Fernando Botton from LabJUTA and social worker Núria Pardillos, participants in this session called for future meetings closer to the impacted communities and with fewer people to increase participation and strengthen mobilization. The group also discussed the limitations of the rental aid and the need for additional resources, noting the municipality’s lack of transparency and precise information.
Reporting back from the two parallel sessions, all participants came together to pen an open letter summarizing key points moving forward and committing to continued action. With Dito Barbosa from UMM, CMP and Gaspar Garcia, leading the effort of synthesis, the letter acknowledges the participating communities and network of collaborators and demonstrates the strength of collective organization and mobilization, popular education, and resistance.
The letter is published in the Union of Housing movements website: LINK
The 4º Encontro de Favelas e Ocupações da Periferia Sul de São Paulo concluded with participants reading the letter manifesto and receiving the diplomas for their participation. With a lot of gratitude for the beautiful work and generosity behind the organization—thanks to Mara and Sheila from UMM, and Cintia from Peabiru–, up to the next convening, the 5º Encontro!
Student Team
Md Ehsan Alam, Tabita Aitonean, Natalia Boldt, Chin-Chieh Chen (Jess), Stephanie Dutan, Aaron Johnson, Yi-Chien Kuo, Yesha Madhubhai Malaviya, Akshita Mandhyan, Jasmine Paulk, Angie Perez, Mariam Reyes-Toidze, Chun Wang (Sheila)
University of Michigans Sponsoring Units
New Faculty-Led Education Abroad Program Grant,
Vice Provost for Engaged Learning’s Global Engagement
Taubman College Travel Fund
Special Acknowledgments
Marilene Ribeiro de Souza, at Associação Comunidade Pantanal e União dos Movimentos de Moradia, Secretaria das Mulheres
Sheila Cristiane Santos Nobre, Afetos and União dos Movimentos de Moradia Secretaria das Mulheres
Cintia Fidelis, at Peabiru
Tereza Arrais, at Articulação Vila Andrade
Benedito Roberto Barbosa, at UMM, CMP, and Gaspar Garcia Human Rights Center
Fernando Botton, at LabJUTA Universidade Federal do ABC and FIO, Assessoria Técnica Popular
To all community members who shared their insights and stories during our fieldwork and those in attendance during the 4° Encontro de Favelas and Occupations
And last but not least, many thanks to Associate Professor Ana Paula Pimentel Walker for sharing a wealth of knowledge during our time in São Paulo. We are very grateful to be able to contribute to the Public Design Corps Initiative, and the support of Caitlin Cuppernull and Shane Molina Soto at Taubman College truly made a difference.
Date
Spring/Fall 2024
Class Type
Undergrad/Graduate Seminar
Enrollment
Taubman College UM ARCH 509
In Collaboration With
União dos Movimentos de Moradia, Centro Gaspar Garcia de Direitos Humanos,
Defensoria Pública do Estado de São Paulo,
Peabiru Trabalhos Comunitários e Ambientais,
Articulação Vila Andrade
Comunidade Pantanal