Social and spatial changes in a middle class neighborhood

Abstract:

This article aims to analyze changes in the residential and commercial dynamics of a neighborhood in the south of Belo Horizonte. Using the Urban Property and Territorial Property Tax register and the Real Estate Transfer Tax register, it was possible, not only to identify and map the new residential and commercial properties built in the neighborhood in the last decade, but to outline the profile of its new residents and consumers. The concept of gentrification is taken into account as a process of replacing a social class with a lower status by another with a higher status, to examine the results found. The data point to a process of physical change, marked by the greater supply of buildings with a high standard of finishing and high value, aimed at a social group with a higher status than the previous residents. The main actor behind these changes is the real estate market.

Keywords:
Gentrification; Real estate market; Belo Horizonte