O que há entre o público e o privado: vitalidade e tensões na apropriação do estacionamento do Carrefour na região sul de Natal

Abstract

The unexpected appropriation of free spaces, such as the Carrefour parking lot in the Southern Region of Natal / RN, has been a way of indicating the population’s constant search for alternatives to public spaces, which are increasingly permeated by fear. Therefore, it is questioned how the supermarket constitutes an attraction for the accomplishment of different activities, by various social segments, in the context of the city. The motivations that involve the choice of theme concern the interest aroused by the results of previous research developed by the author and her colleague Jessyca Alencar, in which he was part of the study cut. It is also justified by the absence of academic papers on the subject, and by the contribution to new forms of apprehension of the nature and meanings of spaces, associated to the recognition of human participation in this construction. Then, the objective is to understand the processes of resignification of that area considering aspects of safety and vitality. To reach it, the precepts of several authors, such as Raquel Tardin, Eugênio Queiroga, Paulo César Gomes, Ana Fani Carlos, Frederico de Holanda and Jane Jacobs are used. They and the other names covered define terms such as free space, spheres of life, appropriation, identity, place, urbanity, diversity and vitality. The empirical data collected for the development of the evidence were collected through maps, questionnaires, open interviews and field observations, with the aid of photographic records, social networks and websites. The results then tend to prove the hypothesis and the fulfillment of the main purpose of the study, demonstrating that the physical aspects of the site are essential for the commitment of the public in focus. Associated with the fear of the surroundings (and of the parking lot itself), the signs of vitality remain, but suffer from novelties that impose limits and give rise to new questions.