As propostas institucionalizadas e os processos participativos relacionados com o Bairro Lagoinha, em Belo Horizonte/MG

Abstract

The 1988 Constitution and, subsequently, the regulation of urban policy instruments, through the promulgation of the City Statute in 2001, generated, in a national context, the expectation of urban reform and the implementation of participatory mechanisms in the democratic management processes of cities. However, although in theory participation is seen as a way to legitimize public interventions by civil society, in practice, there is a difficulty for the public authorities to articulate interests, sometimes divergent, from different social segments. In this sense, Belo Horizonte stands out as an example of a city that has implemented participatory management processes, through mechanisms such as public hearings and conferences. However, the emphasis given to public-private partnerships in the capital has influenced the direction of urban policy, favoring the interests of the private sectors to the detriment of investments made towards urban improvements, which could be enjoyed by the population in general. Thus, the objective of this article is to analyze, through a case study of Lagoinha neighborhood, how popular participation has been encompassed in institutionalized proposals and in the daily actions of the region.