Abstract
The article discusses the verticalization and densification process of central cities in the Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista, state of São Paulo, and its effects on the socio-spatial structure and on the environment in the period between 1980 and 2010. It also analyzes projections for the 2010-2020 period, based on data from official agencies and the real estate market. The results reveal that this process has changed the natural landscape and currently reinforces socio--spatial segregation, with dispersion of occupation to environmentally vulnerable areas, generating urban mobility problems.
verticalization; densification; urban morphology; urban transformations; Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista