Cidades sem memória? Ausência de políticas de preservação nas pequenas cidades de formação recente no Noroeste Paulista

Abstract

Although the 1988 Federal Constitution established a broad and democratic understanding of cultural heritage, preservation practices in Brazil often persist in maintaining a restrictive view of what should be recognized as cultural assets. There remains a widespread notion that heritage is limited to monumental buildings, works signed by great artists, or creations from distant historical periods. This conception, which runs counter to the constitutional text’s inclusive perspective on preservation, excludes the vast majority of Brazilian cities—particularly the small and recently founded ones. This master’s dissertation, developed within the Graduate Program in Architecture and Urbanism at the Federal University of Uberlândia (PPGAU-UFU), seeks to deconstruct the limiting notion of cultural heritage as restricted solely to monumental assets and, consequently, to traditional preservation instruments. It does so through a discussion on cultural heritage in small, recently established cities of the northwestern region of São Paulo State, focusing on the municipalities of Bebedouro and Colina. In parallel, the research aims to propose possible paths for fostering heritage awareness in these localities, supporting the development of public preservation policies integrated with local and regional urban development. Drawing on the theoretical contributions of authors such as Gatti and Zandonade (2017), Endlich and Detoni (2022), Campos and Inoue (2020), Meneses (2012), Motta (2023), Chuva (2017), Rocha (2020), Meira (2004), and Schicchi (2022), among others, this work seeks to promote a critical and expanded understanding of the concept of cultural heritage. By addressing the relationship between heritage and small, recently founded cities in northwestern São Paulo, and through the case studies of Bebedouro and Colina, the dissertation aims to reflect on how the municipalities of this region can embrace cultural heritage not only as a means of safeguarding it amid the city’s ongoing transformations, but also as a way to preserve and reinterpret their urban identity over time and across generations. In doing so, it aspires to contribute to improved quality of life, greater social identification and appropriation of space, and the construction of an intermunicipal approach to cultural heritage preservation.