SOCIO-SPATIAL FRAGMENTATION PATTERNS IN MEDIUM-SIZED CITIES: AN ANALYSIS OF DISPERSION AND SEGREGATION DYNAMICS IN ARAÇATUBA, PRESIDENTE PRUDENTE, AND RIBEIRÃO PRETO
This research compares the production of urban space in Araçatuba, Presidente Prudente, and Ribeirão Preto from 2000 to 2022, using quantitative and qualitative approaches on urban dispersion and residential segregation. The study is based on the concept of socio-spatial fragmentation, an intensification of segregation and differentiation in various contexts. This phenomenon encompasses spatial, economic, social, cultural, and political aspects, transcending physical and social separation, resulting in more complex urban forms. A conceptual review was conducted, identifying key characteristics of residential segregation by income and race, as well as urban dispersion, along with methods for quantifying both processes. An observation panel adapted to the Brazilian reality was developed, and related metrics were applied in the studied cities. In the qualitative analysis, the historical, economic, and social formation of the cities was considered, identifying housing spaces and collective facilities. The comparison between cities reveals similar and different processes. The update of the research with 2022 Census data will confirm changes in the center-periphery pattern and the intensification of socio-spatial inequalities, reflecting the fragmentary logic in the production of space.