From Garden Suburb to Urban Center in Goiânia: a Historical Analysis of the Setor Sul (South Sector) (1938-1962)
Authors: Gomes Fausto Henrique de Faria , Resende Sandra Catharinne Pantaleão 
Published: July 2024

Objective: The objective of this study is to discuss the occupation of the Setor Sul (south sector)since Attílio Correia Lima's initial proposal, reformulated as a garden neighborhood by Coimbra Bueno's company under Amando Augusto de Godoy's supervision, until it became an urban centrality considering the growth of the city of Goiânia, initially planned to occupy a radius of 4 km from the Praça Cívica (civic square) in 1933.

Theoretical Framework: Urban analysis is developed as a resource to understand the urban structure of Goiânia and the role of the Setor Sul (south sector), based on the reflections of the historical-geographical approach (Vasconcellos, 2010). With the data and maps related to these characteristics, the perspectives of Manso (2001; 2018), Daher (2003), Diniz (2007), Ackel (1986; 2007), among others, are considered regarding the conception of Goiânia and the circulation of the modern ideology as premises for configuring the Setor Sul as a garden neighborhood. Thus, attention is drawn to understanding the formation of the city from a conceptual and practical aspect, as its construction unfolded in the morphological changes of the neighborhood in addition to the strict control of immediate land occupation, a fact that effectively occurred in the 1960s-70s.

Method: The methodology adopted for this research involves the analysis of poorly systematized documentary sources, linking historical documents to the collection of legislation, decrees, and other legal instruments that shaped the control and land use of Goiânia until the mid-1950s, when the municipality began to assume the management of urbanization in the newly created city. Public archives and data from the Goiânia municipality were sought to organize and observe how the urban form of the neighborhood changed, constituting its process of occupation.

Results and Discussion: The results obtained indicate that the occupation of Setor Sul (south sector), from the 1930s to the 1950s, was under the supervision of the State, exerting control over the sale of lots and the permission to occupy them later, as they were considered "land stock". This means, among other things, that land was valued as an exchange and provision of resources for the city's own development. In this sense, the neighborhood, although widely disseminated and detailed in official urbanization plans, had a fragmented occupation, often depending on the government's ability to implement the infrastructure, areas, and public facilities planned in the 1938 project. Through the historical-geographical approach, an urban analysis of Setor Sul is characterized by its connection with the Setor Central and Setor Oeste neighborhoods, and later, with Setor Pedro Ludovico, due to the road system that expanded the urbanized area as a result of Goiânia's intense population growth. In this sense, the research indicates the importance of relating historical data to legislative records as a means to better understand the materiality of the city, going beyond what was initially conceived.

Research Implications: The transformations of Setor Sul (South sector) between the decades of 1930-60 are being discussed, considering the different materialization from what the designers had envisioned. The difficulties faced by the municipal administration in providing adequate infrastructure are identified, along with the intense migration that occurred during that period. In this way, reflections between urban history and territorial planning are compared to understand the current features of the neighborhood and enable urban management to mediate its present conflicts. Discussions regarding the preservation of Setor Sul are also included, focusing on its materialized form rather than solely the urbanistic ideas that surround its official history.

Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by expanding the urban history of the city, incorporating political-administrative aspects and seeking to understand the production of urban space in light of the territorial occupation articulated with the actions that prompted it. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by explaining the transformations of the neighborhood through the comparison and correlation of documentary sources and the socio-spatial aspects that permeate the formation of the urban landscape.