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By studying how cities are built and transformed in a given period and in regional contexts, urban morphology can make important contributions to the analysis of urbanization phenomena and urban and regional development. This article takes a historical-geographical approach to comparatively analyzing the urban morphology of three small towns in the Intermediate Region of Santa Cruz do Sul and Lajeado: Sobradinho, Rio Pardo and Encantado. Using data from the 2010 and 2022 IBGE Demographic Census, Landsat satellite images and bibliographic references. The historical, geographical and socio-economic specificities of the municipalities and their regional contexts are examined. A pattern of center-periphery segregation is observed, with central areas concentrating greater population density and better economic conditions, while peripheral areas have fewer resources. The city of Sobradinho stands out for its compact configuration, Rio Pardo for its sprawling growth and agricultural economy, and Encantado for its more pronounced urban expansion, fragmented growth and diversified economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to discuss the socio-spatial formation of the West region of Santa Catarina from the cultural scope, analyzing the presence of old street movie theaters throughout the twentieth century. This territory has its formation shaped by conflicts and social processes that resulted in a network of small rural towns and, later on, cities focused on agribusiness. The movie theaters appear in these rural towns and develop in their transition to agribusiness cities, forming a remarkable system of urban entertainment and sociability. It starts by presenting the modern formation of this territory, associating it with the first experiences of cinematographic exhibition. Then, it is linked to the genesis of the agro-industrial economy in the region, and its subsequent hegemony, with the installation of transportation, energy, and communication infrastructures, resulting in a suitable scenario for the intense multiplication of movie theaters. The worked hypothesis is that the analysis of the development of these small cities, based on the particular details explained by the operating processes of these spaces, and on the dynamics provided by them, can configure the movie theaters as marking points of different economic and social moments. The data bases were composed based on interviews, research on historical archives and on the web, as well as on fundamental bibliographies for the theme, which were then related in order to create a textual structure that presents and discusses these theoretical contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are a historical product resulting from the actions of diverse agents with transformations of multiple natures, instrumental to capitalism. From a natural to a built environment, cities materialize as areas of population density, economic resources and infrastructure. These changes alter the morphology, dynamics, structure and quality of life of the urban population in the various geographical scales of analysis. Thus, this article addresses, from the perspective of the local population, urban problems in small cities in the northern region of Minas Gerais and its participation in the scope of the urban planning process. The populations seek toimprove the conditions of their lives: infrastructure and equipment, employment, schools, health, transportation, leisure, security, among others. The research is qualiquantitative and was carried out by applying questionnaires to the urban population of 19 municipalities in the northern mesoregion of Minas Gerais. The data obtained reveal that the population's perception of their living conditions in the municipality is associated with problems related to infrastructure, unemployment, health services and investments in the municipality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work shows a research performed in Rio Pomba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, mesoregion named "Zona da Mata". As its characteristics of town, Rio Pomba goes through tangible changes in its spatial dynamics allied to the repercussion of Federal Government Program "REUNI", which helps at expansion and restructuring one of Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sudeste de Minas Gerais campuses placed at the town. The main point is the analysis the deepest changes that the process brings to the town trying to clear a wide reflex, once many small and medium cities are target from the process of internalization on Federal Institutes at this present decade, according to the way by Brazilian superior education has taken since 90's. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to analyze the impact of social programs proposed by the Federal Government, which were recommended taking as model the urban reality of metropolitan areas, and its development which these programs are set. In this sense, this research aimed to analyze the Federal Government's housing program "Minha Casa Minha Vida" and its implementation in the municipality of Ponta de Pedras, located in the state of Pará. The housing program "Minha Casa Minha Vida", approved for municipality in 2009, aims to build 120 housing units, with a budget of approximately two million reais. The program has distortions in the process of implementation considering the original proposal of the Federal into urban realities of small cities. Those cities have social contexts from Government. One of the factors that instigated us are related to local people complaints which they had not the opportunity to participate in the process of application. Political patronage in the distribution process of the houses was verified as well. This dissatisfaction could be verified during the survey, conducted in July 2010 and 2011, in the city of Ponta de Pedras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]