Intermediate Cities and Socio-Territorial Centralities in the Amazon: Reflections from Marabá, Pará

Abstract

It is necessary to think about the Amazon from a decentralized approach. This is particularly relevant for the cities in the region, which are often viewed through the lens of urban centrality concepts that reference other realities in Brazil and around the world. Moving beyond this interpretive framework requires dealing with a plurality of agents and activities that contribute to an understanding of  regional particularities. Based on relevant critical literature  and secondary data extracted from documentary and bibliographic sources, this study systematizes elements  related to the production of urban space that confirm the  importance of a medium-sized Amazonian city (Marabá) in  its sub-region (southeast Pará). Additionally, it highlights  other forms of urban centralities and their vulnerabilities in  the face of urban-regional restructuring processes.