Fringe belts como elementos estruturadores da paisagem: o caso de Belo Horizonte/MG

Abstract

Urban landscape is structured by morphological elements such as blocks, lots and roads, buildings and open spaces related to them. Fringe belts, which also constitute urban landscape, are characterized by extensive areas of low density and wide open spaces for institutional use. Landscape elements form a system, showing mainly relations of connectivity. Thus, it is assumed that every city has an open spaces system. Most of Belo Horizontes open spaces is poorly connected with each other, forming a fragmented landscape, which makes open spaces system inefficient to suit their functions. This work aims to study and identify the elements of Belo Horizontes urban landscape, addressing the relationship between two of them, fringe belts and open spaces. It also seeks to understand the possible formation of integrated system composed of open spaces and fringe belts in the city landscape, with spatial cropping in the area bounded by Avenida do Contorno. The inclusion of fringe belts to open spaces expands the spaces to be related and connected. Fringe belts units identified in the area are analyzed by evolution, transformation processes and characterization, checking their tendency to maintain or change in the urban landscape. Moreover, the landscape spatial structure of the area is identified and fringe belts units are incorporated into open spaces, viewing the formation and maintenance of the system composed of these two elements. Fringe belts study is extremely important for urban morphology and landscape ecology, which explains the interdisciplinary feature of this work and the fringe belts role as structuring elements of urban landscape.