Contemporary Theories and the Circulation of Planning Ideas - The Emergence of the Soft Spaces Approach: A Case Study in the Sorocaba Metropolitan Region within the São Paulo Macrometropolis
The field of territorial planning integrates specific knowledge from various disciplines, which influence its practices and ideas. Additionally, territorial dynamics and their vectors generate tensions that lead to the formulation of new theories and praxis. In this context, this research focuses on the circulation of ideas in planning, seeking to understand the origin, dissemination, and interpretation of approaches within the field in practice. Simultaneously, it critically analyzes the geopolitics of the networks responsible for this circulation and implementation, including their ideals and values. The objective is to discuss and deepen contemporary theories and the circulation of ideas in the field of planning, using the approach of Soft spaces, in order to contribute to new interpretations and emerging issues. The case study chosen is the Metropolitan Region of Sorocaba (RMS), within the broader context of the Macrometropolis of São Paulo (MMP). This approach, developed based on processes identified during the New Labour period (1997-2006) in the United Kingdom, interprets that part of statutory planning (hard) is complemented by non-statutory or informal planning actions (soft), where the state transfers its protagonism to sectors and segments organized around civil society and the market. This approach highlights a departure from the rigidity associated with institutional practices, aiming to work beyond existing political or administrative boundaries. By understanding these emerging theories and their discussion, the research seeks to contribute to the development of planning, strengthening reflection and theory production within the Brazilian context. For this purpose, the case of the Metropolitan Region will be employed and discussed to critically assess the limits and possibilities of theories and ideas originating from the global North in the context of emerging countries. The methodology employed will encompass three phases representing the circulation of ideas: I - Contextualization (origin), II - Descontextualization (trajectory), and III - Recontextualization (destination). Each phase will involve qualitative and quantitative methods, including literature research and review, collection of secondary data, document analysis, and conducting interviews with planners, academics in the field, and key stakeholders. Additionally, the content will be systematized through the use of software.