Redes de desenvolvimento comunitário em Chapecó/SC: processos de transformação socioespacial no bairro São Pedro

Abstract

The research investigates the support and cooperation networks for residents of the São Pedro neighborhood in Chapecó, Santa Catarina. Established in the late 1960s to relocate residents from informal settlements, the neighborhood became a segregated area and was recognized as a poverty belt. Over time, however, São Pedro has undergone profound socio-spatial transformations, integrating into the urban fabric and gradually shifting its profile under the influence of capitalist urbanization processes. This study aims to examine how support networks and community development initiatives have driven significant changes for residents, highlighting the potential of collective support in transforming a historically stigmatized neighborhood. Specifically, the study seeks to: a) understand the historical formation of the neighborhood within the context of Chapecó’s peripheral expansion; b) identify institutions and organizations that work on behalf of the neighborhood, analyzing the formation of support networks through collective actions; and c) investigate social agents and their scales of action in the socio-spatial transformation of the neighborhood. The methodology is descriptive and interpretative, using a case study approach that includes: 1) collecting secondary data on the neighborhood and its socioeconomic and institutional characteristics; 2) participant observation in local association meetings; 3) analysis of joint actions carried out in the neighborhood; and 4) interpretation of primary data obtained through questionnaires administered to representatives of four institutions. The responses were analyzed using Bardin’s (2011) content analysis technique, with Iramuteq software used for categorization and descriptive synthesis of the active entities and collectives. The results identify 12 active entities in the neighborhood, with collaborative activities that include sharing spaces for community actions and collective decision-making. The research demonstrates that these cooperation networks contribute to the neighborhood’s socio-spatial transformation, with actions focused on social and political formation, socio-environmental interventions, and improvements to public spaces