A segregação socioespacial em Belo Horizonte: uma análise crítica das dinâmicas econômicas, sociais e residenciais através da modelagem de equações estruturais

Abstract

This study examines socio-spatial segregation in Belo Horizonte, emphasizing the ways in which urban planning contributes to the persistence of social inequalities in the city. Drawing on critical theory, the research advances the hypothesis that urban planning has historically favored local elites, shaping urban space to serve specific interests and thereby producing segregation across economic, social, and residential dimensions. Critical theory, rooted in the Frankfurt School, offers a framework for interpreting the city as a site where structural inequalities are both generated and reinforced, particularly through the actions of agents holding economic and political power. Within this theoretical perspective, the study employs Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) as a key methodological approach to investigate the interrelations among different forms of segregation. Using census-tract data from the 2010 IBGE Census, SEM, grounded in the principles of critical theory, tests and confirms the study’s central hypotheses by linking variables in ways that uncover a cycle of exclusion, restricting social mobility and deepening disparities in access to urban resources. The findings demonstrate that urban planning in Belo Horizonte intensifies segregation by privileging elites and reinforcing economic, social, and residential barriers. These results provide both theoretical and empirical evidence to inform public policies aimed at building a more equitable and inclusive city. Urban strategies guided by principles of equity are essential to disrupt historical processes of segregation and to ensure more balanced access to urban resources and opportunities, fostering a fairer and less exclusionary urban environment.