A produção do espaço periférico: análise das desigualdades socioespaciais em Campo Grande (MS) a partir do Índice de Qualidade de Vida Urbana (IQVU)

Abstract

This study addresses socio-spatial inequalities in Campo Grande (MS) by examining their production through the frameworks of Uneven Geographical Development Theory (UGDT) and Dependency Theory (DT). The primary metric used for this analysis is the Urban Quality of Life Index (UQLI) of Campo Grande. This index is analyzed not only for its outcomes but also through the concepts underpinning its creation and the ways it is applied and appropriated. The guiding question of this research is how socio-spatial inequality in Campo Grande is produced and manifested via the UQLI, and whether the city’s Urban and Environmental Development Master Plan (UEDMP) utilizes this index to address these inequalities. Additionally, the study investigates who uses and appropriates the UQLI and the impacts of such appropriation on the production of urban space in Campo Grande. The specific objectives are to: conceptualize Uneven Geographical Development Theory in relation to Dependency Theory; interpret the UQLI in the intra-urban space of Campo Grande, linking it to socio-spatial inequalities; and understand whether there is a correlation between the information provided by this social index and the policies outlined in the UEDMP. The methodology involves bibliographic research for theoretical development, as well as documentary research in municipal legislation. Furthermore, content analysis of journalistic and promotional materials related to the UQLI and quality of life in Campo Grande was conducted. The results reveal that urban space production in the periphery of capitalism is both predicated upon and results in socio-spatial inequalities.; in a way that super-exploitation, value transfer, and fragmented capital cycles are all essential for understanding the effects of capital’s cyclical "to-and-fro" movement and find its unifying element in the land rent system within urban space. Moreover, socio-spatial inequalities are continuously produced by specific social agents through socio-spatial practices. The UQLI in Campo Grande, while measuring disparities within the urban space, is not employed in the primary urban policy of Campo Grande, thus enabling its appropriation in differentiated socio-spatial practices that shape city images intended for real estate valorization and city marketing. In this context, the use of the UQLI and the concept of quality of life occur in a scenario of urban spatial globalization, which ultimately deepens socio-spatial inequalities.