Collaborative urban micro-interventions: socio-spatial transformation in the city of Vitória (Espírito Santo, Brazil)

Abstract

Vitória is currently a city marked by a process of urban life introversion, as well as the stage for social activism that recognizes public spaces as fundamental to the quality of urban life. In this scenario, given the need for qualified public spaces, civil society takes on the responsibility of transforming potential spaces into places of interaction and conviviality through collaborative actions. This paper reflects on the role these actions played in the transformation of the city and on the relevance of the broad participation of different social actors in collaborative urban micro-interventions. The study was carried out through a bibliographic review regarding the alternative practices for transforming the urban space, in addition to the mapping, presenting, and analyzing the micro interventions carried out in Vitória (Espírito Santo, Brazil). In these interventions, we observed the participation of social actors such as civil society, public power, and private initiatives. We also identified a fourth relevant social actor: the specialists, who have the technical experience to conduct the process. We conclude that the participation of different social actors in the collaborative process interferes positively with the quality of socio-spatial transformations and in the subsequent success of urban micro-nterventions.