Shrunk Hinterland and Swollen Seaboard: Regional Planning and Population Dynamic in Southern Brazil

Abstract

The population dynamics in Brazil is strongly related to increasing poverty, social exclusion, and the lack of a planning framework at a regional scale. Despite its balanced network of cities, the west high plains of Santa Catarina State have experienced a significant population decrease in small and medium-sized cities at the end of the last century, while coastal cities have swelled. In response, the State Government launched in 2003 a new decentralised administrative network aiming to foster development in the high plains region and reduce migration towards the seaboard. However, the 2010 Census revealed that the plan had failed. This paper analyses the effectiveness of regional planning actions in preventing migratory flows from the interior to the coastal cities in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil.