Conceptual questions: from regional units to the Metropolitan Region of Cascavel

Abstract

This paper analyzes the formation of the Metropolitan Region of Cascavel, located in the Western Region of Paraná. It focuses on the conceptual and institutional pertinence of the term that identifies this spatial unit and its geographical scope. In Brazil, several metropolitan areas which are spatially and dynamically different have been established, both in the inter-metropolitan and intra-metropolitan realm. Based on the principle that metropolitanzation is a process of the urban phenomenon and not a form that is simply predefined by the Constitution, and based on empiric and theoretical research in this field, this paper suggests a review of not only the concept but also the geographical scope proposed for the Metropolitan Region of Cascavel.