MASTER PLANS AND THE REGIONAL CONTEXT: EVIDENCE FROM THE TEN MOST POPULOUS MUNICIPALITIES IN MINAS GERAIS

Abstract

This study is motivated by the absence of regional content in the master plans of most municipalities in Minas Gerais. To illustrate the extent of these omissions, an analysis of master plans of the ten most populous municipalities was carried out. The main manuals for the construction of master plans were also analyzed, where the presence of dimensions and indicators that should compose the construction of the municipal diagnoses was identified, with emphasis on the institutional capacity; culture; economic development; social development; real estate dynamics; land structure; historical evolution of the city/municipality; urban infrastructure; environment; population (mobility and circulation); sanitation; and land use. Based on the need to incorporate the regional context of municipalities in the construction of master plans, this study analyzes the potential use of data provided by the Minas Gerais Social Responsibility Index (IMRS) in the characterization of the regional context of municipalities, offering a basket of indicators produced and made available free of charge by Fundação João Pinheiro. The adoption of these indicators and the focus on the regional perspective will significantly increase the efficiency of master plans, accomplishing in a more assertive way the presuppositions present in the Statute of Cities.