Assessing Brazilian peripheral sprawl: an association of computer-aided tools to evaluate spatial changes at Vila Cabral neighborhood, Campina Grande

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the spatial transformations between the years 2005 and 2020 in the Vila Cabral neighborhood, at Campina Grande's periphery, a midsize Brazilian city located in the interior of the Paraíba state. This research aims to assess the neighborhood's growth objectively, verifying the proposed methodological association's efficiency to carry out this investigation. From a methodological perspective, this study uses a quanti-qualitative analysis of a homogeneous urban fabric sample. Two different analytical scenarios were built (2005 and 2020) to compare the results, and the following procedures were developed: (i) literature review, (ii) formal decomposition of a sample of the urban fabric; (iii) Angular Segment Analysis (ASA/Space Syntax); (vi) parametric analysis of the diversity of uses; and (v) parametric analysis of urban density (population and built). In the end, it was possible to objectively evaluate and understand the transformations that occurred in the time-lapse of the two scenarios. The discussions proposed by this research orbit the current urban growth model in Brazil and how objective indicators can assist in the diagnostic task. This investigation reinforced that the association of different urban analysis methodologies can strengthen the diagnostic processes, mainly because objective values help in project decision-making.