Morfologia urbana: um estudo sobre o entorno das estações ferroviárias de Juiz de Fora

Abstract

The arrival of the railroad in Juiz de Fora was an important axis of articulation of the urban space, bringing changes to the city from the moment of its implementation to the present day. The interventions carried out in the city due to the problems between the railroad and mobility modified the urban fabric and the local landscape, noticeable mainly in the surroundings of the stations and their railway complexes. However, the railway stations are landmarks and references of the city, the places where they are located are considered urban historical centers, preserving the memory of a time when the railways were synonymous with development and modernity. To understand the growth and transformations that occurred in the city, the theoretical-methodological perspectives of urban morphology stand out as efficient means for understanding the urban space, as a form, process and function, promoting an interpretation through its physical and spatial characteristics, as well as the actors and processes responsible for its transformations. The objective of this work is to analyze the current urban morphology of the surroundings of the railway stations of Juiz de Fora, based on the elements that make up the urban space. The methodology used consists of applying the theoretical and conceptual bases of M.R.G. Conzen on urban morphology. In order to fully and up-to-date understand the study areas, the concept of morphological region was applied and, based on the identification and description of the morphological regions, the legislation of the territory, land use, listed assets and the road system of the area surrounding the Juiz de Fora railway stations were analyzed. Thus, the surroundings of the Central do Brasil and Leopoldina Stations in the downtown neighborhood and the Mariano Procópio Station located in the neighborhood of the same name were analyzed. Even though they are located in different neighborhoods, the results of this research showed us that the urban space surrounding the stations still preserves important cultural heritage that was part of the city's history, and that both regions have been undergoing a process of transformation, such as the construction of verticalized real estate developments, changes in the roads and construction of equipment for the transposition of the railway line. All the similarities and differences indicated throughout the research results demonstrate that the railway left its mark wherever it was built, contributing decisively to delineating the way in which the urban landscape was configured.