Geodesign para o planejamento da caminhabilidade de pessoas idosas em Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais)

Abstract

Population aging is a global phenomenon that has intensified in recent decades. In Brazil, this trend is also reflected in the heritage cities of Minas Gerais, such as Ouro Preto, the city studied in this dissertation, where the elderly population grew by 39.8% between 2010 and 2022. Recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1980, the city has physical and spatial aspects that make walking difficult, especially for the elderly, compromising their autonomy and social inclusion. Given this scenario, the dissertation aims to propose improvements aimed at the walkability of the elderly, considering a section of the city's main district as the study area. The selected perimeter includes historical monuments and buildings essential to the daily lives of residents. Geodesign was used as a methodological tool, which combines the use of geospatial technologies with participatory planning to enable the development of proposals that are consistent with the city's heritage reality and the needs of the elderly. For the collective construction of ideas, different social actors were invited, including representatives of the age group and experts, who exchanged experiences in order to meet the needs of the population. In general, the proposals developed in the official workshop stood out for being simple, practical and easy to implement. The most urgent solutions involve improvements in the accessibility of sidewalks, improvement of public lighting aimed at pedestrians and uniformity and maintenance of paving. The participants emphasized the importance of being heard in this moment of exchange and collective construction. In short, the dissertation contributed to expanding the range of studies on walkability in heritage cities, highlighting the need to find a balance between heritage preservation and social inclusion. In addition, it is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 11, which aims to make cities more sustainable and accessible for all.