Parque ecológico do Cocó: a produção do espaço urbano no entorno de áreas de proteção ambiental

Abstract

This work is related to the social and space development of Fortaleza, and analyzes the process of urban space production and appropriation in the environmental protected surrounding area, as a support for the evaluation of local parks projects. The research had as the object of study the surroundings of the Cocó Ecological Park, more specifically the areas of intersection of the natural and urban spaces, and the space developed into the areas of protection. The Park was analyzed according to political context in which it was implemented, considering the transformations happened in its surroundings in the last 15 years. The research method was based in the data collected by the following techniques: bibliographic research made for the theoretical foundation and for getting the historical urban development of Fortaleza; documental research and visits in the field, the last did in order to observe directly the urban space in the Park surroundings and identification of the main aggression and the vulnerable points; structured interviews with residents, aiming to collect information about the changes provoked by the implementation of the of the Cocó Ecological Park. Through the analysis of the data collected, it was possible to conclude that the sócio space inequalities are reproduced in different levels in Fortaleza. It was in the nature where could be verified the main impacts of the degradation and development. The configuration of the green areas of Fortaleza demonstrates the problems came from the punctual and unarticulated interventions. The Cocó river is part of a basin, but its relation with the other basin components is not considered by the public planning and management. This way, the urban areas advance on the river area and consequently on possible green spaces. This is what happens with the Cocó Ecological Park, where the green area disappears into the city. Isolated and valued in certain areas, the river “hides” the aggressions, stimulates pressures of the civil construction and real state market, and gets not part of the life of the communities in its surroundings, making the river and the swamp vulnerable.