Public squares and peripheral territorial belonging in Guarapuava/PR

Abstract

Squares have been synthesized elements in urban landscapes since the 16th century, when they began to be definitively inserted in the urban fabric. Squares are public spaces in common use, allowing access to all types of users and thus allowing various leisure activities to be carried out free of charge. In this context, the squares are essential places for daily practices, especially with the expansion of the urban network, which required the construction of new squares, but which still do not meet all the needs of the population, especially in the peripheral neighborhoods. Therefore, we seek to analyze the peripheral squares and the new leisure spaces in the city of Guarapuava / PR. Thus, from the methodological proposal, a total of six demarcated in the 2016/2026 Master Plan and three considered as new leisure spaces were selected. Thus, from the location where they are inserted in the urban fabric, we identified that each of these spaces has its own identity and social dynamics, including in the fulfillment or not of the social function and the peripheral territorial belonging. The results show that the majority of the squares fulfill their social function and the users have them as belonging to the neighborhood and their daily life, despite the precariousness of equipment, absence of furniture and afforestation.