THE PRODUCTION OF GATED COMMUNITIES IN UBERABA-MG

spatial logics and characterization of developments

Abstract

This paper addresses the production and characterization of gated communities as an expression of fragmentation and socio-spatial segregation in Uberaba, Minas Gerais. The analysis seeks to understand the spatial logic associated with the implementation of these developments from the 2000s onwards, characterize their producers, and evaluate the patterns of urban land valuation inside and outside these spaces. The research adopts a qualitative-quantitative approach, using, in addition to literary sources, laws and official data, real estate market surveys, fieldwork, and other documentary analyses. The results point to the existence of 38 gated communities in the city, with a recent trend toward expansion in peripheral areas, revealing a shift in the axis of appreciation and interest of real estate agents to areas increasingly distant from the consolidated urban area. There was a significant variation in land prices between subdivisions, with a tendency toward overvaluation even in areas with generally low urban land prices. The analysis also reveals that large developers play a central role in structuring urban space, using strategies that promote exclusivity, security, and proprietary infrastructure in their developments. Finally, it is concluded that gated communities in Uberaba intensify urban fragmentation, reinforce inequalities, and consolidate a logic of production and appropriation of urban space geared toward market interests and the reproduction of capital, to the detriment of socio-spatial integration and democratization.