Perverse territorial development: The precariousness of basic sanitation in the Favela Jardim Nova Esperança in São José dos Campos-SP

Abstract

Considering the territory as a vital space for human action, the Territorial Approach to Development focuses on intervening in this space and its social transformations. Thus, the territory encompasses both objects and actions, representing a space inhabited, lived, and shaped by humans. This paper aims to conduct a critical analysis of the territorial development of the Municipality of São José dos Campos in the state of São Paulo (Brazil), drawing a parallel with the evolution of the Jardim Nova Esperança favela and its basic sanitation vulnerability, focusing on sewage services. Despite existing for over a century, this urban community still faces significant challenges, such as land irregularity and basic sanitation precariousness, even though it is located in one of the most developed territories in Brazil. We adopted a dialectical approach and methodological procedures based on indirect documentary research, utilizing statistical data from government agencies and a bibliographic review on the subject. The results revealed a reality of perverse territorial development, marked by inequality, exclusion, socio-spatial segregation, and lack of access to essential services, such as basic sanitation. These concerning results are related to the integrative and relational conception of the territory, impacting territoriality, territorial identity, and territorial anchoring, as well as management failures from the perspective of territorial governance. This study contributes to the understanding of local territorial inequalities and emphasizes the need for a more inclusive territorial development that improves the quality of life of favela and urban community residents, regardless of their territorial location.Parte superior do formulário