On the corners of the city: uses and appropriations of urban spaces by street workers in the center of João Pessoa, Paraíba

Abstract

This paper examines the spatial and socio-cultural experiences linked to the informal sector working in the streets of the historical center in the city of João Pessoa, Brazil. The work is part of the research for a master’s degree in Architecture and Urbanism at the PPGAU/UFPB, concluded in 2014. It represents an in-depth theoretical and methodological investigation of the debate regarding the contemporary city and its socio-spatial dynamics. The research focuses on the forms of producing and reproducing public spaces through which there is a diversity of uses and appropriations imprinted onto the city by its residents through their daily practices and representations. The main objective of this paper is to problematize the contemporary conflicts in the urban space starting from an analysis of the daily experiences of street workers, bringing into debate the urban experience, which is understood as the relationship between quotidian practices and urbanization.

Keywords:
traveling and street vendors; urban practices; quotidian; public space; urban planning