Anteprojeto urbano: requalificação de uma praça na cidade de Pedro Velho/RN

Abstract

Maintaining public open spaces is fundamental to quality of life and sociability in cities. When insufficient, it compromises aesthetics, functionality, safety, and the sense of belonging among residents. This study analyzes the José Agripino Housing Complex Square and the pedestrian walkway on Rua da Linha, in Pedro Velho/RN, seeking to understand how the lack of maintenance affects the use, safety, and social interactions in these environments. It starts from the premise that well-maintained spaces encourage social interaction, while degradation discourages people from staying and reinforces the feeling of abandonment. The overall objective is to develop a preliminary requalification project for the José Agripino Housing Complex Square, promoting improvements that encourage use, increase safety, and promote the well-being of residents. To this end, the main problems resulting from the lack of maintenance were identified; the impact of degradation on user frequency and use was investigated; the perception of insecurity associated with deterioration was analyzed; and the social implications of the absence of leisure and social interaction facilities were studied. and proposed urban planning solutions that favor the use of public spaces. The qualitative methodology included on-site analyses, application of questionnaires with residents and public representatives, and bibliographic research. The results showed that the absence of continuous maintenance causes physical deterioration, reduces the frequency of users, and impairs the functionality of the spaces. It was found that simple and regular maintenance actions can reverse this situation, making the environments more welcoming and functional. The preliminary project developed achieved the proposed objective, configuring itself as an urban requalification strategy with the potential to promote social integration and security. However, it was not possible to delve into the social impacts of the lack of leisure and conviviality areas due to data limitations, which opens opportunities for future research.