Os calçadões e sua importância para a qualidade urbana na área central de Juiz de Fora

Abstract

Based on an investigation that combines theoretical, historical and empirical features, this work seeks a study based on the hypothesis that the pedestrian malls have an important contribution to the urban qualities in Juiz de Fora downtown area. It was based upon a theoretical framework about public space, its concepts and transformations throughout history as a way of understanding the evolution of areas geared towards the use of the pedestrian until the rise of the pedestrian malls as we know them nowadays. The public spaces in the central area of Juiz de Fora are present as dynamic and cohesive, forming a system that at the same time supports and contributes to the urban qualities, such as diversity, vitality, centrality, and identity. In this research, we highlight the pedestrian malls as objects of study, since they develop an important role in this system, and are an important reference for Juiz de Fora’s culture in general. To understand this system and the inclusion of pedestrian malls, we seek a contextualization about the historical and morphological formation of the city center and its public spaces. We present a study on the origins of the pedestrian malls, the justifications for their implementation, subsequent interventions, projects and techniques. We also highlight their spatial characteristics, function and relationship to other public spaces, as well as the possibilities of extending the existing pedestrian malls and creation of new ones, that tend to establish a net of pedestrian streets included in the urban center of Juiz de Fora.