Global cities and the habitat question - The case of social movements for habitation in São Paulo downtown

São Paulo is Brazil’s most important city with a booming economy. The city has a huge population and this so called prosperity keeps on attracting more people to the city. It is well known that one of the issues brought up to a city with a fast growing population is the housing provision and conditions.

What it is proposed in this reflection is regarded to the case of São Paulo’s downtown. This area has been deteriorating since 1950, being before an important economic area of town. In the 50’s it began a plan of urbanization that expanded the city to the southbound. By that time, the higher classes broke up with downtown area that became a place mostly dominated by violence and homeless people. As opposed to the higher classes, this area of the town has been serving as a well located place to live also for low income people that choose the region for some reasons like proximity of their working places.

As a reverse of what happened in the past, downtown São Paulo is currently becoming an attractive real estate market, inserting the area on the center of this hurricane called speculation. In the opposite hand of speculation, there are several social movements that together fight against the upcoming gentrification going on in this area. These people are organized to make the laws work in benefit of a social right. In occupying buildings that do not exercise anymore a social function; these movements are making their part in trying to keep downtown a diverse and accessible place.

Having this small history line in mind, this article proposes to understand these urban transformations and analyze the current conflicts taking place in São Paulo, having its downtown as the center of the discussion.