Curitiba, Brazil: Social Crisis and Policy Innovation for Cities in Light of Laudato Si’

Abstract

This article begins with an interdisciplinary reflection of the city that considers historical and institutional aspects of its formation and dynamics. The elements presented here allow for critical analysis of city planning and political – institutional interventions, which, in addition to reproducing socio-spatial inequalities and segregation, are combined with antidemocratic conceptions that despise universal access to rights, and effective participation and coexistence for the common good. This exploratory article shows the increase of inequality, poverty, and vulnerability in Brazilian territories. Considering the city of Curitiba as an empirical unit, we investigated part of the process of urban planning trends and experiences that can improve deliberative governance and social innovation, which are essential paths for tackling the serious social crisis in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the materialization of the right to the city.