The urban expansion of Foz do Iguaçu between 1965 and 2020: Occupation of different relief compartments and confinement of water courses

Abstract

Since the second half of the 20th century, the municipality of Foz do Iguaçu has been characterized by strong State action as a producing agent of urban space. Public works, with emphasis on the Itaipu hydroelectric plant, were built by state action. This contributed strongly to the population increase after the 1960s. Based on this, the expansion of the urban fabric was analyzed from 1965 to 2020, via satellite images, aerial photos, and bibliographic sources. With the analysis carried out, there was a high increase in the urban area, along with the population, until the 2020s. This fact resulted in the incorporation of different river basins into the urban logic of land use. Furthermore, the process of urban expansion, associated with the ineffective application of Brazilian environmental policy, resulted in the confinement of river channels that snake through the city.

Keywords:
relief compartments; urbanization; Foz do Iguaçu; rivers