Potencial cívico do Campus: a Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina e a democracia na cidade

Abstract

This article advocates the potential space for promoting public democratic environments. In recent decades, public university policies in Brazil have provided an expressive shift towards more inclusive campuses. On the other hand, the growing urban commercialization has significantly reduced diversity within the city's public areas. This study aims to highlight the relevant role that university campuses can play in providing civic areas for the city and to evaluate the spatial characteristics that facilitate democratic gatherings. In 2019, the Federal University of Santa Catarina's main campus was the stage of several events to protest against the government's reduction of the education budget. The study starts from the recognition of the university areas that house students from more diverse areas of study. Subsequently, university community assemblies have been registered within this area and their spatial attributes have been analyzed. More flexible and permeable spaces on the buildings' ground floor influenced these choices to gather and confront ideas. These findings point to solutions that go against current practices, aimed towards more protected entrances. Furthermore, they suggest directions so the university reduces its boundaries, inviting the city into its open areas through buildings that offer free services to its citizens.

Visualizing connections: University campus and social infrastructure

“…This is also reflected inside the campus and reinforced by morphological changes through the channelization of its water streams that contributed to establishing the university disciplinary sectors carried out in 10 academic centers. 23 The campus surroundings are now significantly urbanized; the distance between the campus and the city remains, however, in symbolic and constructed conditions, such as the road infrastructure which physically separates the surrounding neighborhoods from the academic activities. However, by evaluating actions developed at the university, one verifies an expanded network of services that brings social demands closer to a significant diversity of building typologies housing these services.…”