ESF/N-AERUS International Workshop Geneva, Palais des Nations - May 3-6, 2000 CITIES OF THE SOUTH: SUSTAINABLE FOR WHOM? WORKSHOP PAPERS

Flavio A M de Souza
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THE CUTTING EDGE OF LOCAL PLANNING IN MACEIÓ, BRAZIL: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR WHOM?

This study analyses the process of problem definition, agenda setting and the formulation of local urban planning policy using the case of the sustainable development plan for the Northern coast of Maceió, Brazil. With a strong potential for tourism development, local poor communities living in self-settled areas have not been positively considered as part of the development plan. Concerns with city level development agendas have been strongly highlighted instead. The local level debate is much more ambiguous than conventionally assumed. Municipal level agendas still forces out localised demands, but this may not necessarily be true in reverse order. Policy formulation externalities are highlighted in the paper to broaden discussion on the issues of (im)posing sustainable development agendas at municipal levels. This paper calls for attention for a stronger advocacy debate on local level policy formulation.

N-AERUS: Network-Association of European Researchers on Urbanisation in the South
http://www.naerus.net