Os novos usos do território do bairro Cidade Alta a partir da decadência da atividade comercial

Abstract

This research focuses on commercial activity as a significant analytical element for understanding urban spaces, historically tied to the development and sustainability of cities, influencing their production, use, and conception as "territory used." The spatial scope of this study is the Cidade Alta neighborhood, located in the eastern administrative region of Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte. Historically, this neighborhood has held central roles across symbolic, ideological, cultural, historical, and economic dimensions. Commercial activity has long contributed to the neighborhood's vitality and centrality. However, in the last decade, there has been a noticeable decline in retail trade, evidenced by the increasing number of businesses closing in the area. This study seeks to identify and characterize the current transformations in the neighborhood’s functional use, exploring its appropriation through diverse practices and uses and assessing the impact on the quality of life of local residents. The research methodology includes literature review, document analysis, and government data to obtain secondary data. Primary data were collected through fieldwork, direct observation, and questionnaires applied to stakeholders involved in the production and use of urban territory. The integration of data highlights various external and internal factors contributing to the commercial decline. These include urban expansion, state intervention favoring private capital, lack of fiscal incentives, the emergence of modern shopping facilities, the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of e-commerce, and neglect of local infrastructure. These factors reinforced the dialectical process of centralization-decentralization, resulting in territorial transformations in the city center. Former commercial spaces have been converted into mixed-use (commercial and service), residential, idle, or improvised housing spaces. These changes reflect the complex interplay of economic, political, and social factors shaping the neighborhood as a "lived territory" and impacting the daily lives of residents. By mapping and characterizing these transformations, the research contributes to understanding Cidade Alta's territorial dynamics and its evolving uses in response to the decline of traditional commerce.