“Paper metropolises” in Amazonia: Lefebvrian perspectives on the production of space in Macapá-Santana, Brazil

“Paper metropolises” are urban centers in established metropolitan regions that present no functionalities of a metropolis, in terms of political, economic, and social influence, as well as the flow of information, capital, and people. Thus, this study has sought to understand the conception, perception, and experience of a “paper metropolis” located in the Brazilian Amazon based on Henri Lefebvre’s understanding of the production of urban space. Using a historiographical approach, and a literature and documentary review, it was possible to understand that the conceived space is essentially the result of joint actions among political and economic actors that prioritize the institutionalization of space rather than its production, thereby reflecting the lack of perception and experience of the population in relation to metropolitan space. Thus, particular intra-urban dynamics transform the metropolitan spaces into a product that does not necessarily fit into Lefebvrian theory, creating new horizons for apprehending the socio-spatial production of what constitutes paper metropolises.