A cidade em disputa : conflitos em torno da apropriação do espaço urbano por pessoas em situação de rua

Abstract

This research analyzes the forms of appropriation of urban space by the homeless population, understanding them as unstable processes, marked by a permanent dynamic of deterritorialization and territorialization, and how the dimension of conflict contributes to this. The study is based on readings on the topic, analysis of public policies, a survey of articles from O Globo newspaper, and fieldwork in downtown Rio de Janeiro, seeking to understand how this population circulates, occupies, and transforms public space amid conflicts with state agents, private interests, and sectors of civil society. The first chapter presents the issue of homelessness, the research path, and objectives, aiming to situate this thesis as a contribution to urban studies. The second chapter discusses social exclusion under capitalism, the historical formation of the homeless population in Brazil, and the production of urban space by excluded populations. The third chapter focuses on the concrete living conditions of this population, based on data and public policies, survival strategies, exclusion from the labor market, and the effects of stigmatization and violence. The fourth chapter presents the fieldwork, analyzing the life trajectories of homeless individuals, their urban displacements, and the spatial conflicts they face, as well as a discussion on conflict, disaffiliation, and territorialization. Finally, the last chapter presents the final considerations, proposing a critical reflection on the role of the homeless population in the production of urban space and the urgency of intersectoral public policies that incorporate their real experiences and needs. Thus, the thesis proposes to understand street life not as urban disorder, but as an expression of the presence and visibility of this dispossessed population, marked by conflicts, survival strategies, and precarious territorializations that never fully consolidate, yet are significant.