Urban and Environmental Planning: Proposals to Municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

The master plan of municipalities is a key process for integrating the environment into nature. The plan is not just an instrument of management and planning but also a mechanism of social control in cities that promotes urban and environmental management and planning. Society-nature relations are distinct in different parts of a territory in terms of the different needs and cultures present. With the aim of analyzing different urban and environmental contexts in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, eleven municipalities were selected with regard to their history of occupation, adequacy of the Municipal Master Plan to the City Statute guidelines, municipal environmental legislation and physical-regional characteristics. The municipalities have  1,159,061 inhabitants, 10.3% of the total population of the state. Our analysis shows that the municipalities studied do not consider the environment to be part of urban policy.