Do sertão carioca aos condomínios da Barra da Tijuca: uma viagem em torno dos territórios

Abstract

This thesis discusses the transformation of the territorial space of Barra da Tijuca, rescuing, from the diachronic point of view, the way in which the area was demarcated and inhabited, from the seventeenth century, crossing time until the twentieth century, at the time of full urban expansion, with the Pilot Plan of architect Lúcio Costa. For this, the book O Sertão Carioca, by Magalhães Corrêa (1936), was fundamental because it enabled the composition of the geographical, environmental, water and, above all, human scenarios of an area that encompassed several neighborhoods in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Preserved in its natural ambience, and with few roads in and out, Barra da Tijuca was late in being occupied. The transformations in this territory had systematic continuity, requiring solutions to new demands. It can be said that the historical route currently finds (synchronous point of view) memories and cultures that were recorded in parks, lagoons, beaches, seen as meeting points of various groups and tribes, reflecting how much the place exerts influence on the daily life of the inhabitants. With this, the question of the assumption raised is established: the history of the territory's development, with its large and distinct geographical areas, is intertwined with the interventions of the public power, contributing to a new composition of inhabitants and, therefore, of territorialities and social relations. The testimonies of residents and those who have personal interests in the neighborhood underpin the object of the research and interconnect the theoretical concepts of territory, social classes, condominiums and sociability, according to the interpretation of reality within the scope of the researcher's gaze.