Andre Carrasco workshop slides

1.
Theories | Teorias
Robert Kurz
colapso da modernização
modernização retardatária
Henri Lefevbre
processo de produção do espaço
urbano”
reprodução das relações sociais
de produção”
Francisco de Oliveira
desenvolvimento desigual e
combinado
Amélia Damiani
urbanização crítica
Ermínia Maricato
limites do planejamento no Brasil
Javier F. Castro
categorias para ler e projetar a
cidade latinoamericana
David Harvey
produção capitalista do espaço
Urban Dialogues Workshop
André de Oliveira Torres Carrasco
Universidade Federal de Pelotas
To begin with, I have based my discussion on the reading of Robert Kurz´s theories on the collapse of
capitalist modernization process and on Henri Lefebvre´s ideas about de production of urban space and
reproduction of productions social relations. Besides Kurz and Lefebvre, I examined David Harvey´s
approach to the capitalist production of space, its limits and resistance ways. I have also looked at
Francisco de Oliveira´s theories on the Brazilian´s uneven and combined development, at Amelia Damiani’s
understanding of critical urbanization in Brazil and Erminia Maricato´s theories about the limits of urban
planning in Brazil. Lastly, I analysed Javier Fernandez Castro´s theories about categories to read and to
design latin american cities.
Taking from this, my research aims to analyse and criticize the social processes and institutions that
structure capitalist contemporary sociability, exploring the contradictions between their determinations and the
particular forms of realization of the urban space production process. Historical limits have defined an
urbanization model to our country which is based on a massive production of inequality and
precariousness. This model has not been overcome yet, imposing to people social and spacial standards
more and more depreciated. These theoretical references are important to help to identify this model´s
fundamentals, to recognize the limits of our theoretical and practical acting and so to find new ways to
expand that.
2.
Methods | Métodos
Articulation between social and
urbanism critical theories, new
planning and design strategies
and new forms of relation with
the community.
Articular teoria crítica, novas
estratégias de planejamento e
projeto e novas formas de
relação com a comunidade.
To lead the questions to
another complexity level.
Levar os questionamentos a
outros níveis de complexidade.
Dialetics recover.
Retomada da dialética.
Urban Dialogues Workshop
André de Oliveira Torres Carrasco
Universidade Federal de Pelotas
I have been working on the articulation between these social and urbanism critical theories, new planning
and projectual strategies and new forms of relation with the community. I start from a multi-scale approach,
focusing on building new ways of resistance and production of living space possibilities.
In my research, it is more important to lead the questions to another complexity level than to find
answers, working in a systematic exercise of hypothesis construction.
These theories, these hypothesis and their action strategies are not presented as static or autonomous
elements. They are in a constant movement of re-evaluation and reconstruction, result of their interaction with
the studied context.
This approach looks for a dialectics recover – in accordance with Henri Lefebvre – just because the
analysis of its variables detects and reveals the contradictions of space. The fissures produced by the
contradictions terms are the places where we can find some space to expand our action limits.
3.
Understandings | Entendimento
How are people included in
urbanization process?
Critical inclusion: relationship with the
urban space is mainly presented as
crisis, as negativity.
Possibilities of subversion of this
logic.
Como as pessoas estão incluídas no
processo de urbanização?
Inclusão crítica: relação com o
espaço urbano se apresenta
principalmente como crise, como
negatividade.
Possibilidades de subversão dessa
lógica.
Urban Dialogues Workshop
André de Oliveira Torres Carrasco
Universidade Federal de Pelotas
According to my theoretical perspective, everyone is included in the urbanization process: in their space, their
economy and in the sociability defined by their determinations. However, the problem is how they are
included.
In Brazilian cities, a significant fraction of the population was critically included in the urbanization process. Its
relationship with the urban space is mainly presented as crisis, as negativity, defined by a constant
precariousness of their material and social aspects. My research focus on the possibilities of subversion of
this logic.
In this sense, the idea of subversion requires recognition and confrontation of contradictions that determine
the critical feature of the urban space production process, condition necessary to establish the possible paths
for the development of overcoming theories and practices.
4.
Opportunities/Challenges | Oportunidades/Desafios
Recognition
Reconhecimento
Dialogue
Diálogo
Forms of action
Formas de ação
Urban Dialogues Workshop
André de Oliveira Torres Carrasco
Universidade Federal de Pelotas
In my understanding, opportunities and challenges are ideas that work together.
In this sense, a possible way to approximate the moments of opportunities construction and facing challenges
is to recognize and to act together with "non-official" agents of the urban space production process:
communities in situation of precarious urbanization, social movements and socially vulnerable groups that are
not organized.
How can the research conducted in universities, public policies and their projects work together with these
sectors?
Recognition (of the public and their real problems – not the problems that we think they have)
Dialogue (construction of a common language / mutual understanding)
Forms of action (not necessarily the traditional ones/ fundamentally "subversives”).