URBAN TRAIL, MOBILITY AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION: A STUDY APPLIED TO SUMARÉ AVENUE IN THE CITY OF SÃO PAULO

Abstract

This article deals with the hypothesis of being urban trails an important mechanism for social integration in cities. Considering the degradation of public spaces in the City of São Paulo, beyond its characterization as monofunctional, it  is justified the need to think about such spaces and promote the encouragement  for other uses, aiming to rescue its multifunctionality. In this way, the streets must be understood not only as circulation space, but also as a living space. Mentioned degradation happened mainly due to public policies that prioritized wheeled transportation, which is indirectly responsible for the unsafe feeling of the people. Within this context, urban trails can be an important instrument to provide integration by using the leisure. It is an urban aggregating policy, non-segregationist that promotes contact and coexistence of people. The Agua Branca Urban Trail, here conceptualized and proposed, aims to help the reversal of such abandonment process of the modal transport by promoting a great circuit for non-motorized transportation means. Thus, it is prioritized the contact with the surroundings, the street, the neighbourhood and the community by encouraging the movement and stay in such public spaces, as an inherent attribute to an urban society.