PRAÇA PORTUGAL | FORTALEZA - BR
LARA FURTADO Cultural Heritage & International Sustainability
UMass Amherst | Spring 2015
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CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN
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Conservation and Development Plan
Conservation and Development Plan Fortaleza, Ceará - Brazil APRIL 2015
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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION........................................................................................... 3 CONTEXT ..................................................................................................... 5 SURROUNDINGS, DESCRIPTION OF SITE AND CHARACTER DEFINING ELEMENTS .......................................... 5 ISSUES AND CHALLENGES .......................................................................................................... 9
VALUE ASSESSMENT ................................................................................. 11 HOW IS PRAÇA PORTUGAL RELEVANT ............................................................................................... 12 HERITAGE VALUE .......................................................................................................................... 13 SOCIAL VALUE ............................................................................................................................. 14 POLITICAL VALUE .......................................................................................................................... 16 ECONOMIC VALUE ........................................................................................................................ 17 OTHER ASSESSED VALUES ................................................................................................................ 18
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................ 19 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR PRAÇA PORTUGAL ........................................................................ 20
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION ........................................................ 22 RECOMMENDATION ....................................................................................................................... 23 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................. 24
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INTRODUCTION This document presents a Conservation and Development Plan for a public space called Praça Portugal
(“Portugal
Square”)
in
the
city
of
Fortaleza, capital of the state of Ceará and located in the Northeast of Brazil (Figure 1). Fig 1. Location of Fortaleza in the Northeast of Brazil. Source: Lara Furtado
Since March 2014 the city had announced the demolition of the square located in the central and afluent neighborhoods called Aldeota and Meireles (Image 2), in order to open space for the crossing of two of the city’s main Avenues. The announcement was made as part of the infrastructure works supported by a Transportation and Transit Immediate Action Plan (PAITT).
Fig 2: Aerial view of the Square and its adjacent neighborhoods. Source: Google Earth, 2014.
While several measures were well received by the population such as the installation of Bus Rapid Transits and a shared bike system, the demolition of Portugal Square was met with resistance from some groups and acceptance
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from others. Fig. 3: aerial view of the round square, as its adjacent corner spaces, in the middle of the two main avenues. Source: Google Earth, 2014.
However, the Square is located in a dense region with high concentration of traffic and services and is on the way of main commercial avenues. This gives the space high visibility and has resulted in the population voicing opinions through social media and other local sources. In face of those conflicts, this study assesses the community’s attachment to the square as well as the values attributed to it in order to enlighten how Praça Portugal is relevant to Fortaleza and whether and how it should be preserved.
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Context Purpose of Study
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SURROUNDINGS, DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE AND CHARACTER DEFINING ELEMENTS Portugal Square is placed between the affluent neighborhoods of Aldeota and Meireles, which have the highest income rates in the city (Figure 4). The immediate surroundings are characterized by commerce and shopping malls, which is enabled by the two main avenues that cross the Square and give passage to the intense automobile traffic. A large number of services, housing and work opportunities can be found in this dense part of the city and the Square is a clear landmark among the dominant high-rises (Figure 5).
Des
. Mo reira
Fig. 4: Land use map of the adjacent area. The map shows the diversity in land uses within the same
Av.
neighborhood. Source: Lara Furtado, 2015.
Av.
Dom
Luís
Fig. 5: Median income per capita in 2010 – Distribution of income within Fortaleza. The darker red neighborhoods illustrate a concentration of upper class populations around the central regions and in proximity to the coastal area. Source: Government of Ceará, 2010.
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Aldeota has five large-scale shopping malls, which has been taking a toll on the existing transit infrastructure and putting Portugal Square as a focal point. The square is therefore strategically located in an area with high land values and infrastructure. Despite its importance as an open space available for public uses (Figure 6), there is a growing debate on the need for a restructuring of the space for an improvement in the street infrastructure. Fig. 6: Shopping Aldeota can be seen as the blue building in one of the corners of the square. It is also possible to see the density surrounding the Square – a predominant green space. Source: http://tvneto.blogspot.com/2014/03/mudanca-napraca-portugal-deve-passar.html
Portugal Square is a unique round open space that also performs as a roundabout. It presents unique vegetation from the “cerrado” and beach palm trees ubiquitous in the city of Fortaleza (Figure 7). Fig. 7: The Square lit up at night with its majestic palm trees common in the State. Source: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=4 98767&page=111
Its architectural detailing and materials are traditional to the local culture such as the granite and mosaic patterns on the floor (Figure 8).
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Conservation and Development Plan PRAÇA PORTUGAL - FORTALEZA / CEARÁ
Fig. 8: Plan illustrates the placement of elements in the square as well as their
VEGETATION AND DESIGN SCHEME FROM 1992
specific materials. This scheme shows the latest intervention from 1992, which is still practically unmodified. Source: Lara Furtado.
LEGEND Concrete White mosaic
Water feature Black mosaic
Granite Energy box
Trees Purple vegetation
Vegetation Round pebbles
Red mosaic
Bench
Grass
Palm Tree
The features in the center of the open space and its design intentions are reported as follow according to a report on the interventions from 1992:
“An arc-shaped portico, facing Av. Dom Luis was erected. From its center went down an armillary sphere in ship steel, with high durability, perpetuating the nautical instrument used by Portuguese mariners (...) Below the sphere, a cube covered in granite had three of its sides carved with symbology: the Portuguese coat of arms, the road with six points and a glorious piece of Canto VII of The Lusíadas, praising the daring spirit of Lusitanian people (Leal, 2009:82)” (Figure 9)
Fig. 9: Images showing the details of the iron sculpture placed in the center of the circular square as well as the concrete white portico. The water feature designed in 1992 was replaced by grass due to lack of maintenance. Source: http://tribunadoceara.uol.com.br/especiais/praca
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ISSUES AND CHALLENGES: LATEST EVENTS AND IMINENT DEMOLITION In March 2014, Fortaleza’s Mayor announced the works for the Immediate Action Plan for Transportation and Transit in Fortaleza (PAITT) to be carried out in two phases: converting the avenues Dom Luis and Santos Dumont, and redeveloping Portugal Square, currently a roundabout, to transform it into an intersection. On the site of the destroyed Square, four new mini-squares would be constructed to compensate for the loss of public space (Figure 10).
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http://cnews.com.br/content/images/sites/cnews
Fig. 10: The images show virtual simulations of the proposed design for the New Portugal Square to be built where the current square is located. The intervention proposes a continuation of the intersecting avenues and division of the public space in four separated squares.
The start of the construction was delayed due to the State Prosecutor (Public Ministry of Ceará - MPCE), who acted against the intervention, claiming the site to be a cultural facility. The MPCE filed a public civil action asking for the preservation of Portugal Square subsequently in May, which was overruled by the Executive Power in late 2014. The Secretary of Culture of Fortaleza (Secultfor) vetoed the request for the preservation of the Square claiming that the space is supported by intangible values and is not historically significant. Members of the City Council filed, on October, an appeal against the decision. The list of events in favor of blocking the intervention and continuing the infrastructure works continues to stretch until the present date. However, the State has been adamant in the decision to
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destroy and constantly emphasized the importance of the interventions for the city. Some of the remarks are listed here: “The design of the New Square Portugal will return the site to the population, by promoting the rescue of its original function which is to be a place for outdoor and public activities, an essentially democratic urban space, which welcomes everyone without distinction and brings together the most diverse social groups in the city”. The Executive Power in 2014 defending the new interventions.
“It is safe to say that the two phases of intervention are excellent solutions for mobility and traffic problems in that area of Fortaleza.” The president of Special Affairs and Studies on Traffic and Traffic Law of OAB-CE (Brazilian Lawyers Organization) discussing the efficiency of the new designs presented for the intersection of the avenues and the New Portugal Square. Source: http://oabce. org.br/2014/06/audiencia-publica-sobre-binario-e-praca-portugal-convencecomissao-de-transito
In March 2015 the Secretary of Tourism of Ceará has proposed to suspend interventions in Portugal Square until the State Heritage Council analyzes the request for the preservation of the area. The request is still waiting for technical assessment. The key stakeholder involved in the debate which have publically taken a stand in favor or against the new interventions are listed: Against interventions: Universities (UFC, UNIFOR, UECE) Public Ministery IPHAN (Heritage Institute) Media (Jornal O Povo, Diário do Nordeste) Facebook: “Viva a Praça Portugal” (Figure 11) IAB (Brazilian Institute of Architects)
In Favor of Interventions: Municipality ; Secretary of Culture, Heritage and Infrastructure OAB (Brazilian Lawyers Organization) Facebook: “Sou a favor da Nova Praça!” (Figure 12)
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Value Assessment Justification and Methodology
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HOW IS PRAÇA PORTUGAL RELEVANT TO THE COMMUNITY? “The study of values is a useful way of understanding the contexts and sociocultural aspects of heritage preservation. (Mason, 2002; 5)” To elaborate this development and conservation plan this study considers that: “heritage conservation is best understood as a sociocultural activity, not simply a technical practice; it encompasses many activities preceding and following any act of material intervention” (Mason, 2002: 5). Therefore the study on Praça Portugal makes use of traditional modes of assessing significance through historical and aesthetic notions but also of methods to understand its meaning to the community aside from being a physical place. An understanding of the history and significance of a site over time are crucial elements in the identification of its authenticity. The understanding of the authenticity of a heritage site depends on a comprehensive assessment of the significance of the site by those who are associated with it or who claim it as part of their history. For this reason, it is important to understand the origins and evolution of the site as well as the values associated with it. (Kerr, 2007). In addition to the historical value, this Conservation and Development Plan also identified Political, Aesthetic and Socio-cultural values based on the interactions of the community with the site. Further research was done to assess the diverse intangible values associated to the site. The specific steps and methods performed to register the values of Praça Portugal included: 1) Historical research of the origins of the site through secondary sources; 2) Examine the Web for information on current uses and social activities in the square; 3) Identification of the stakeholders in favor and against the preservation of the square and their statements justifying their main opinions; 4) Survey those stakeholders on whether they are in favor of the demolition and why;
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5) Distribute the same surveys through snowball sampling to obtain a larger amount of responses from other community members. The surveys were gathered online through surveymonkey.com and presented in a semi structured simple format. They were set up as such to allow people to freely share personal opinions on the matter of preservation versus destruction of the square (Figure 13). The final Conservation and Development Plan presents the decisions, which were shaped from those interpretations of “invisible” values and meanings (Kerr, 2007). Fig.13: survey distributed online from Survey Monkey with an introduction on the site and three simple questions as shown in Portuguese (What does the Square mean to you? What is you age? In which neighborhood do you live?)
HERITAGE VALUE In the history of Fortaleza’s urbanization, the partnership with Portuguese culture initiated in 1603, when the first immigrants arrived in the city, and has not slowed down since. In customs, vocabulary, physical traits and even in the style and details of many buildings, the human and urban profile of Fortaleza owes significantly to the Portuguese presence (Leal, 2009).
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The authorization for the construction of Praça Portugal was given in 1947 during the administration of the Mayor Jorge Moreira Rocha and was, at the time, named as Praça Nunes Wayne. A new intervention 1973 added a concrete structure in the center and cut the green space with a roundabout for the passage of cars. The design as seen today, however, is from 1992 by architect Maria Clara Nogueira Paes, which was also a designer of several other public spaces in the city. The goal of the new design elements added in the square was to represent the harmony between Brazilian and Portuguese cultures in Fortaleza (Figure 14).
Fig. 14: this sequence of pictures represents a timeline of the interventions of the square from left to right: 1947 - first drawing of the square | 1973 - first drawing of the square | 1990 - sculpture in the center and intense developments in the neighborhood | 2014 - detail of the iron sculpture. Imaged retrieved from: http://tribunadoceara.uol.com.br/especiais/praca-portugal/galeria-de-fotos
SOCIAL VALUE The social values of heritage enable and facilitate social connections, networks, and other relations in a broad sense, one not necessarily related to central historical values of the heritage. The social values of a heritage site might include the use of a site for social gatherings such as celebrations, markets, picnics, or ball games—activities that do not necessarily capitalize directly on the historical values of the site but, rather, on the public-space, shared-space qualities Throughout the years several groups have informally made use of the space for different social gatherings. The group “Praça Portugal, Viva” often organizes gatherings with painting for children and other activities (Figures 15 and 16).
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Different “crowds” and tribes from varying ages have been known to use the space in the past decades, whether they were teenagers dressed in black or adult rock fans.
Fig. 15 and 16: Provided by “Praça Portugal, Viva” illustrating some of the activities promoted by the group in 2015. Source: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Praça-PortugalViva/1481016408846140?sk=photos_stream
Despite all evidences that several citizens make direct use of the space and that others refer to it on a daily basis, neither the Secretaria de Cultura do Ceará (“Cultural Department”) nor the Instituto do Patrimonio Histórico e ArtísticoIPHAN (“Heritage Institute”) have marked the square for preservation or determined it to be historically significant. Groups engaged in urban policies have been demanding attention to the issue and gathering around the Square to show it has uses and should be preserved (Figure 17). Fig. 17: Protesters against the destruction of the square make a “group hug” in 2014. Source: http://g1.globo.com/ceara/noticia/2014/12/textovencedor-de-olimpiada-nacional-criticaintervencao-na-praca-portugal.html
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POLITICAL VALUE Like all heritage values, political value can be interpreted through a positive lens—as a key contributor to civil society—or, more cynically, it can be interpreted as a political tool used to enforce national culture, imperialism, post colonialism, and so on. On that note, the square has played an important role as a focal point for the concentration of liberal groups protesting against the World Cup in 2014 (Figure 18) and demanding political reforms in pursuit of equity and transparency. Fig. 18: Image of the 25k people meeting in 2015 to protest against corruption scandals in the government. Source: http://www.politicaemevidencia.com.br/2015/04/ manifestacao-em-fortaleza-contabilizou.html
It was also a concentration space for for more conservative groups protesting against the recent corruption scandals in the Federal Government in 2015 and demanding the return of military dictatorships. During election periods the Square is always filled with flags from the different candidates who also make speeches and gather the crowds in the location (Figure 19). Political headlines from local medias reporting on the latest events read: “Just like on March 15, the Sunday of protests in Fortaleza initiated in Portugal Square.” Fig. 19: Image shows the candidate for mayor from the Workers Party participating in a rally in Portugal Square. Source: http://el.imguol.com/2012/10/20/20out2012---ocandidato-do-pt-a-prefeitura-de-fortalezaelmano-de-freitas-de-camisa-xadrez-participa-decarreata-na-praca-portugal-na-capital-cearense1350744336823_956x500.jpg
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ECONOMIC VALUE The Square is also a space of encounter of several agents that make use of the public area to perform commercial activities. During Carnaval season several “informal” dealers sell party tickets and shirts making the Square chaotic but known for the practice (Figure 20). On Valentines Day and International Women’s Day, women can are found standing by to sell flowers to cars driving around the roundabout. In one of the corners, a newsstand has been present for more than a decade. On Sunday mornings, during the World Cup period, inhabitants met in the square to exchange and sell figurines with soccer player’s pictures. Fig. 20: “Ambulantes” (informal sellers) sell shirts that grant entrance to Carnaval Parties. Source: http://blog.opovo.com.br/pliniobortolotti/wpcontent/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/Praça-Portugual.jpg
SURVEY RESULTS AND OTHER INTRINSIC VALUES Total surveys collected: 133 Total neighborhoods represented: 42 (35,3% of city)
Word Frequency Word
Praça (square) Cidade (city) Espaço (space) meireles aldeota Ponto (spot) Lugar (place) Natal (christmas) Marco (landmark) portugal nunca pessoas Referência (reference) Trânsito (traffic)
Count 176 150 52 50 48 42 40 38 32 32 30 28 28 28
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ADITIONAL VALUES: -
AESTHETIC – beautiful, landmark MEMORY/HISTORY – part of people’s or the city’s past OPEN SPACE – presence of green area SOCIAL/ CULTURAL – gathering space WAYFINDING – representation of neighborhood and city identity
IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS FROM PEOPLE’S RESPONSES: “The Square was never really accessible, as lively as it could.” “I would like for the avenues to be viable without the square in the way” “It has to be demolished to improve traffic in the city” “It is a landmark and should be preserved as cultural heritage” “Fortaleza needs more pleasant open spaces instead of destroying what it has”
- Negative feelings toward the square are associated to a need for transit infrastructure, not for any negative stigma associated with the site; - Neutral responses are due to people that do not have any specific attachment or feeling, sometimes because they have not been.
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Statement of Significance
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STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR PRAÇA PORTUGAL DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORIC PLACE Praça Portugal is a square located in the city of Fortaleza, capital of the state of Ceará and located in the Northeast of Brazil the neighborhood of Aldeota. It was created in 1947 and has been through changes in 1968 and 1992. It is in the intersection of major commercial avenues Dom Luís and Desembargador Moreira. The historic place comprises the actual round square and the four adjacent separate open spaces in the corners of the square. HERITAGE VALUES The heritage value of Portugal Square lies in its long, continuous use as a place for gathering and as one of the few well-preserved open spaces in the city. Built to serve as an open space, it is currently used by the population for daily life activities but also as a roundabout for automobile traffic. The square has served local residents as an entertainment venue for almost 70 years, representing a significant landmark in the city as well as open space for cultural, social and political activities. Built in 1948, the square was envisioned to represent the harmony between Brazilian and Portuguese cultures in Fortaleza. Its among a grouping of dense commercial and housing buildings makes it an open green refugee. Its striking palm trees, landscape design and its prominent white portico are a characteristic of the neighborhood for locals and tourists. Its architectural detailing and materials are traditional to the local culture. CHARACTER DEFINING ELEMENTS The character-defining elements of the Portugal Square include: -its continuous use as a public and free space since its construction -the four adjacent smaller squares which have also been appropriated by magazine stands, serve as shade for taxi drivers and facilitate the crossing from adjacent buildings to the remaining round space in the center. -all of the original elements of the square including the white arch, the granite and iron sculpture, the landscape, the benches and the stone patterns on the floor. -the square’s location on an intersection of two main streets in the town’s commercial core - its value as a landmark and
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Recommendations for Action
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RECOMMENDATIONS The difficulty of drafting recommendations based on assessed values is that a plan must integrate conflicting values to inform the resolution of different, often conflicting stakeholder interests (Mason, 2002). One way to initially deal with this complexity is to determine what level of intervention best expresses the diversity of values: This could be preservation, rehabilitation or restoration. The authors offered the following guidelines, derived from twenty or so years of experience with decision-making strategies in the environmental conservation field (Sexton et al. 1999, 447–58): • • • • • • •
build mutual trust and understanding; adopt sustainability as a unifying principle; take shared responsibility; institutionalize public participation; continually refine and use decision-making tools; collect and analyze important information (gather data for evaluation); use incentives to encourage innovation.
Following those principles and based on values assessed for the site, this report concludes that the advisable recommendation for Praça Portugal is to preserve the existing site to avoid its imminent destruction. To ensure the sustainable preservation and use of the square certain issues should also be addressed as an immediate improvement: 1) The square is very difficult to access. There are no passageways or special lights for pedestrians and citizens have to run through the cars putting themselves and others in jeopardy. Therefore, it is important to establish a basic infrastructure to guarantee that safe access. 2) Thus far, meetings have been informally organized by specific stakeholders, but it is also important to encourage the use of the space by different groups and in several nights of the week. The square can be used to promote events to consolidate Praça Portugal as a gathering space for the entire city.
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3) The debate regarding the interventions in the site has led to a dualistic approach by the population consisting of either being pro square (pro heritage) against square (pro transit). That resulted in hostility between groups in which citizens fail to see themselves as equals and to see past that good/bad dichotomy. It is important to encourage dialogue between groups so all values can be incorporated in the plans for the square/neighborhood/city. 4) That effort in bridging those different opinions and giving a voice to as many people as possible should also reflect on the physical proposals established by the municipality. Therefore, methods can be incorporated to assess design and constructed improvements, which stem from a larger work in assessing people’s values and needs. Preservation in this case does not meant to “freeze” the site, but solely to maintain the characteristics relevant for the population and find, though collective effort, which aspects can be improved. Additionally, the debate surrounding the site revolves around a larger urban issue, which is the increase amount of individual cars and demand upon transit infrastructure. Therefore this plan also established long-term changes, which can lead to a more sustainable incorporation of the square as well as improvements for the city as a whole. Those were drawn from the value assessment and citizen’s responses in relation to Fortaleza, open space preservation, traffic, access to infrastructure and equity. Interventions will require a more comprehensive evaluation of the issues identified from the debate on the Square and how they can be traced to the rest of the city such as: 1) To study more sustainable approaches to deal with the demand in infrastructure other than building more roads. Those may vary from larger scale projects including tunnels, for instance, but can also consider innovative solutions for public transportation such as Bus Rapid Transit, Bike Sharing, Light Rail or even making the site exclusive for pedestrians. 2) The fact that a square gets turned into a roundabout for so many years is a reflection of the lack of value for open and green space. The discussion of lack of public space should be expanded for the rest of the city and to less affluent areas.
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3) Another important consideration regards the need to officiate the importance of public participation in public decisions of such sort. Regardless of the loud opinions voiced by scholars, important stakeholders or large activist groups, the government has not made an effort to reach out to the population and assess interest or opinions (before, during or after the new square was advertised). The summary of proposed recommendations can be found on Table 1. TABLE 1: SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SITE SHORT TERM
PRESERVE AND REHABILITATE
LONG TERM
Preserve the square as landmark and prevent destruction;
Larger infrastructure project sustainable alternatives
Build mutual trust and understanding among the community;
Build on the community dialogue to take the urban discussion further for the rest of the city;
Organize more events in the square and encourage its attendance by diverse groups + create imediate access Design contests and participatory design / assess values
Reevaluate access of the square and its surrounding areas; Institutionalize public participation The real problem: lack of open space in Fortaleza
REFERENCES IPECE (2012) Perfil Municipal de Fortaleza - Tema VII Distribuição Espacial da Renda Pessoal . Available at: http://www.fortaleza.ce.gov.br/sites/default/files/ipece_informe_42_distribuicao _espacial_da_renda_pessoal.pdf
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Leal, Angela Barros (2009) Praça Portugal: Um Laço Entre Portugal E O Ceará. 1st ed. Fortaleza, Brasil: Terra Da Luz, 2009. Print (108 pp) Low, Setha M. (2008) Social Sustainability: People History and Values. Fairclough, G, Harrison, R, Jameson, JH, & Schofield, J. The heritage reader. Retrieved from http://oro.open.ac.uk/10307 Mason, Randall (2002) Assessing Values in Conservation Planning Methodological Issues and Choices. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles. 2002 (120 pp) Sexton, K., et al. (1999) Better Environmental Decisions: Strategies for Governments, Businesses, and Communities. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.