Public investments distribution, urban infrastructure and socio-spatial inequality in Curitiba

Abstract

This paper addresses the spatial distribution of public investments in urban infrastructure and its relationship with the real estate dynamics and socio-spatial inequalities, taking Curitiba as a case study. Initially, we mapped the intra-urban space according to the levels of household precariousness, urban public services, infrastructure, income, and public transport provision. Then, we analyze the spatial distribution of the investments made by the municipal government between 2005 and 2016 in public works such as paving, buildings, public lighting, bridges, and drainage. Finally, from the analysis of recent real estate dynamics, we sought to confront the configuration of public interventions in the urban space with the behavior of the real estate market and social demands. It became evident that urban precariousness also manifests itself in the differential allocation of resources in public works that, instead of effectively contributing to social justice, reinforces the unequal distribution of the benefits and burdens of urbanization.