Activisms and the city

Abstract

The postulate that the city, its space, production and planning are neutral and objective has been contested by several authors. They highlight the political and ideological aspects of the city, and its use as reinforcement to certain dominances. This critical perspective focuses both in the city’s role as a maintainer of the capitalist mode of production and class relations, and as a maintainer of other oppressions – such as gender, ethnic and religion – which also are strengthened in the city and by the city. This article has as its main subject the propositions leaded by citizens which are alternatives for the hegemonic urban planning and management. With the city of Belo Horizonte as the main context, the goal is to investigate the impact of social movements, activisms, committees, collectives etc. who aim freedom, justice and equality for the cities they live in. These groups will be named as “urban activism stritcto sensu”1(free translation), as well as did Marcelo Lopes de Souza in 2006. For them, the struggles are not only for accessing urban resources, but also for putting in practice the “right to the city” in its broad sense: The right to participate and reclaim the decisions and transformations of the city.