The instrumentation of public actions in the management of the Urban Development Fund (FUNDURB) of the municipality of São Paulo

Abstract

The Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) has been used by municipal public entities to finance their urban policies. In the city of São Paulo, the resources obtained through TDR constitute the primary revenue source for the Urban Development Fund (FUNDURB) of São Paulo, whose allocations are directed towards the infrastructure and themes outlined in the City Statute. This study aims to describe the procedures and institutional constraints that influence the allocation of these resources, based on the neoinstitutionalist concept of public action instrumentation developed by Halpern, Lascoumes, and Le Galès (2021) and by Lascoumes and Le Galès (2012). Documents from the Municipal Department of Urbanism and Licensing of the Municipality of São Paulo, which manages FUNDURB, the Budget and Finance System, and the Monitoring Portal of the 2014 Strategic Master Plan, were analyzed. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees from the Municipal Departments of Housing, Transportation, and Urban Infrastructure and Works. As a result, it was identified that institutional constraints (limitations in the staff structure, complexity of the procurement framework, and bureaucratic-processual workflows) affect the processing time of procedures and even the location of investments within the territory of São Paulo.

Keywords:
FUNDURB; Public Action; São Paulo