Produção do espaço urbano em Santarém(PA): agentes sociais, especulação imobiliária e transformações históricas do território.

Abstract

This study analyzes the processes of production and transformation of the urban space of Santarém, Pará (Brazil), tracing its development from its historical formation to contemporary dynamics of land speculation and urban land valorization. The research is guided by the following problem-question: How have historical processes, social agents, and real estate speculation contributed to the production and transformation of Santarém’s urban space from its origins to the present day? The general objective is to examine the constitution of the urban space by articulating the roles of social agentes, the State, landowners, real estate developers, industrial capital, and marginalized groups, with the theoretical perspectives of Corrêa, Santos, Lefebvre and Harvey. The methodology employs a qualitative approach complemented by quantitative procedures and is characterized as applied research. The study combines bibliographic review, historical and documentary analysis, and the examination of territorial, demographic and land-value data regarding urban and rural land valorization. This methodological integration enabled the articulation of theoretical foundations with empirical evidence concerning the occupation, expansion and territorial restructuring of the municipality. The main findings reveal that the formation of Santarém’s urban space is shaped by overlapping historical cycles, from missionary activities and colonial land tenure structures to regional economic fronts, which have influenced centrality patterns and spatial expansion. Empirical data from 2019 to 2024 indicate profound inequalities in land valorization, with strong real estate concentration in central and expanding zones, while peripheral and rural areas remain undervalued. The analysis also demonstrates that real estate speculation, together with selective state actions and landowner strategies, intensifies socio-spatial segregation and promotes an urbanization process marked by contradictions and territorial disputes.