Environmental planning and occupation of urban land in Presidente Prudente, Sao Paulo state, Brazil

Urban environmental planning processes are of utmost importance to urban centers currently, assisting in rational occupation and environmental balance. They should not be separated from developmental policies because they are directly related to quality of life. Aiding in this process, the municipal Master Plan, constitutionally approved in 1988, is an essential instrument to guide the action of agents in favor of balanced urban development. Based on this premise, the primary goal of this article is to contribute to this discussion through the relations of use and occupation of urban land and the production of social housing in medium-sized cities, considering environmental issues. It is based on the case study of the reality experienced by the municipality of Presidente Prudente, western of Sao Paulo state, between 1997 and 1999. The methodology used was based on qualitative research, with field surveys of selected housing estates, according to architectural, urban and environmental aspects. The municipality analyzed presents an inadequate reality, with social housing projects inserted in the urban grid disregarding rules, laws and guidelines, in a process of urban policies inconsistent with desirable environmental purposes.