Espaço rural: de espaço de vida a produto de consumo urbano? Observações sobre a bacia do Itajaí

Abstract

European immigrants began colonization of Itajaí river basin, in southern brazilian Santa Catarina state, in 1850. In the first half of the twentieth century a rapid expansion of agriculture leads to occupation of almost all usable land. From 1950 on industrialization leads to rural exodus and decline of agriculture land use. Forest regrowth established on abandoned land. Drastic rural population decrease goes hand in hand with deep functional transformation of rural space.