REGIONAL URBAN NETWORK, MEDIUM-SIZED CITIES AND SMALL CITIES

analysis from the Intermediate Geographic Region of Montes Claros/REGINT of MOC

Abstract

The spatial, social, economic, and political heterogeneity of cities and regions constitutes one of the most salient features of the complex and hybrid process of contemporary urbanization. On the one hand, there are cities that are demographically, structurally, and economically dynamic; on the other, there exist cities of low and medium complexity in structural and socio-spatial terms, forming systems of interdependence and functional complementarity to which they are articulated. Urban networks, composed of a set of urban centers—whether metropolises, medium-sized cities, or small towns—both reflect and condition the current pattern of urbanization, among other factors. In this context, this article analyzes the dynamics of the urban network constituted by medium-sized and small cities in the Intermediate Geographic Region of Montes Claros (REGINT-MOC), Minas Gerais, Brazil. In this region, medium-sized cities exert significant centrality due to their economic and infrastructural roles, particularly in the health sector, as demonstrated in this study. The adopted methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, was based on theoretical discussion, documentary research, and fieldwork conducted in municipalities within the REGINT-MOC. This included direct observation and interviews with 16 public officials (municipal secretaries and mayors), who were asked about the region’s main challenges, the strategies and instruments employed to address them, and potential solutions.