Challenges to the implementation of Social Housing Zones in Fortaleza

Abstract

Despite the urban informality that has been increasing in the city of Fortaleza (Northeastern Brazil) in recent decades, the local planning policies have not developed solutions to deal with the problem. Among the causes we can mention: the historical dissociation between housing and urban policies, the interference of different government spheres, lack of institutional capacity, and deficiencies in the integration among different sectors. In this paper we present: a portrait of the urban informality phenomenon in Fortaleza, a review of the political process that updated Fortaleza’s Master Plan according to the principles of the City Statute; the challenges associated with the implementation of the Social Housing Zones delimited by the Master Plan, including an analysis of the role of the different stakeholders in the process and the necessity to deepen the knowledge about the urban and housing conditions of these Zones.