A participação popular no direito ao território: uma análise da aplicação do Projeto Orla na Praia da Redinha/RN

Abstract

This research critically analyzes the implementation of the Orla Project in the community of Redinha, located in the northern zone of Natal/RN, in light of the right to the city and citizen participation. The research is grounded in the legal frameworks that shape urban and environmental policy in Brazil, such as the 1988 Federal Constitution, the City Statute (Law No. 10.257/2001), Law No. 7.661/88, the National Coastal Management Plan, and the Master Plan of Natal, in addition to official manuals that guide the methodology of the Orla Project. The objective is to understand the limits and contradictions of the participatory methodology applied in the project’s implementation, especially in view of the parallel execution of the Redinha Tourist Complex, an initiative led by the Natal City Hall. The study adopts a qualitative approach, based on documentary analysis of legislation, plans, dossiers, technical reports, and news articles related to the case. Furthermore, it draws on critical literature concerning the production of urban space and territorial justice to analyze the balance of power between the Orla Project methodology and the municipal management decisions in Natal. The results point to the existence of a simulation of citizen participation, where the stages of the Orla Project were carried out independently of the major decisions already made by the local government. It is concluded that, although the Orla Project proposes integrated and participatory management, its implementation in Redinha exposed a significant gap between discourse and practice, resulting in violations of collective rights, social tensions within the community due to local government actions, and the advancement of an urban policy rooted in gentrification.