Diretrizes ambientais nos Planos Diretores de Pequenas Cidades Brasileiras: uma análise da sua incorporação e aplicação no Estado de Goiás

Abstract

Urbanization in Brazil, which intensified during the second half of the 20th century, led to a significant concentration of population in large and medium-sized urban centers. This phenomenon explains the growing scientific interest in urban challenges on this scale, focusing research efforts on these areas. However, this trend has placed small towns in a lower position within scientific research and urban planning, highlighting the need for more balanced attention that recognizes and addresses the particularities and challenges faced by these communities. This study aims to discuss Brazilian urban planning, focusing on municipalities with populations of less than 20,000, exploring which environmental dimensions are included in their Master Plans. One of the premises that motivated this research is the recognition of the need to produce knowledge related to the reality of small towns, which, despite their relevance in the national context, still lack research. Approximately 70% of Brazilian municipalities fall into this category, occupying most of the national territory and often being centers of significant economic activity, especially in rural contexts. Thus, urban planning in these areas not only impacts local socioeconomic development but also has important environmental implications. The main hypothesis is that, due to the lack of legislative mandates, limited technical and financial capacity, and the absence of public policies that consider local realities, municipalities with up to 20,000 inhabitants tend to present Master Plans with gaps in the effective implementation of environmental and sustainability dimensions. Therefore, the overall objective was to examine the environmental aspects present in the Master Plans of cities with populations under 20,000 in the state of Goiás. The proposed methodology includes a literature review, methodological selection, tabulation and integration of data from IBGE surveys in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment, documentary research, and data analysis and evaluation of the Master Plans.