Open Space Systems in Rio de Janeiro: The Public and Private Spheres Reflected in the Urban Landscape

Abstract

This chapter introduces the issues in debate by researchers, teachers, professionals and students, within the scope of the Open Spaces Systems in Rio de Janeiro-SEL/RJ of PROARQ-UFRJ Research Group. It establishes as a milestone the research that evidences the aspects of access and use of open spaces in Brazilian cities, focusing on the context of state and municipality of Rio de Janeiro and their consequences on the public sphere in terms of management, design and ownership. To this end, the following frames are proposed: the systemic relation between spaces in the public sphere and those in the private sphere, in different contexts, times, and points of view; the types and forms of use of these spaces, which are subdivided into distinct categories and types; the environmental questions and needs that guide analyzes about open spaces confronted with other social and economic demands, such as pressure for housing in Brazilian cities. It presents preliminary results of the ongoing research on the role of open spaces in the urban configuration of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. The studies carried out and herein summarized help to understand how the observed aspects relate to socio-spatial segregation in Rio de Janeiro with the purpose of subsidizing the elaboration of socially fair and more inclusive urban planning and regulation policies.