Urbanity in catastrophe

the rejection of vitality as a strategy

Abstract

This work examines the context of vertical housing development in Brazilian cities, which is declining in its connection with public space. The aim is to identify the condition of urbanity in a recent vertical housing area, guided by a diagnosis of the conditions of connectivity, permeability, and accessibility resulting from the implementation of such developments. The analysis is conducted from the perspective of the attributes of vitality and quality of the collective space for understanding a morphological region, with the city of Sorocaba-SP as a case study. For the analysis, surveys, mapping, and systematization were carried out, selecting the area of Parque Campolim. The results show the recent verticalization as a strategic instrument of the neoliberal city, consolidating territories without a collective sphere and socio-environmental quality. Contemporary verticalization is driven by economic actors who reshaped urban landscapes, prioritizing profit over sustainable planning. This process leads to urban forms far from the desired urbanity, where humanizing relationships such as walking and coexistence, permeability, and connectivity are not valued, reinforcing social inequalities that could jeopardize the future of cities that are supposed to be fair and inclusive.