Urban Governance and Climate Disasters: Space Regulation in Brazilian Cities

The present research, still in progress, aims to investigate how urban governance through the regulation of public spaces shapes responses to climate disasters in Brazilian cities. The intensification of extreme weather events, such as floods in Porto Alegre and wildfires in the Amazon, reveals weaknesses in urban infrastructure and inequalities in the distribution of risks. The central issue lies in how urban legislation and governance mechanisms can be adapted to promote resilience and socio-spatial justice in vulnerable contexts. The proposed methodology combines document analysis – focusing on legislation, urban plans, and public policy documents – with semi-structured interviews involving public managers, urban planners, and community representatives. Document analysis will offer insights into how the law influences spatial occupation and urban infrastructure, while interviews will provide perspectives on the challenges and practices of governance during crises. Expected results include identifying gaps between legal planning and urban management practices, as well as proposing collaborative regulatory strategies that integrate multiple social actors. The research also seeks to demonstrate that, beyond emergency responses, it is necessary to rethink urban space regulation with an emphasis on equity and social participation. This study will contribute to the field of sociology of law by articulating the dynamics of urban governance and climate disasters, proposing a regulatory model capable of strengthening urban resilience and promoting socio-spatial justice in the face of climate change.