Origin and impact of territorial enclaves from the perspective of fragmentation

Abstract

The research presents new perspectives on understanding a socio-spatial process, clearly distinguishing between the center-periphery segregation pattern and the fragmentation model. This article analyzes the expansion of territorial enclaves at various scales, offering a comparative investigation of the growth and concentration of horizontal residential condominiums in major Brazilian cities. Therefore, the categories, various levels of analysis, temporal and geographical scales, types of impacts, and socio-spatial processes were defined. The terms "row house" or "condominium house" were used in the category of permanent private households in the demographic census conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2022. Additionally, data from the Economic Research Institute Foundation (FIPE) were utilized to identify sectors with a high concentration of horizontal residential enclaves. In this context, the socio-spatial structure of the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza has undergone significant changes due to new developments featuring physical barriers and controlled access. These changes create social distancing despite physical proximity. The study points to a reorganization of the metropolitan urban fabric towards urban fragmentation in specific sections of Fortaleza and its neighboring municipalities, Aquiraz and Eusébio. There is an emergence of diverse types of residential enclaves that offer a wide range of leisure facilities, commerce, and services within their perimeters. This provides them with significant autonomy compared to the traditional city. In this context, residential patterns are influenced by urban insecurity, which reshapes daily life and establishes new forms of social separation and physical divides.