The continuous expansion of Brazilian cities: the case of the city of Belo Horizonte.

Large Brazilian cities present similar urban forms and development processes, despite the fact that some were implemented through different comprehensive plans, while still others were founded to serve a wide range of purposes. Apart from these differences, Brazilian cities have currently been experiencing considerable growth and territorial expansion. Planning processes have been put forward but have seldom been effectively implemented to form legal cities. This paper presents the characteristics of one Brazilian city, Belo Horizonte, which was designed 115 years ago to be the capital of the state of Minas Gerais and which is experiencing a similar process within its boundaries. However, the city’s spacialization and administrative body are similar to all other Brazilian cities, by comparing results from applied norms. This allows Belo Horizonte to be selected as a symbol of these urban policies and products. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]