“Mas que saudade da minha praça modesta [...] onde viver era bom”: os espaços públicos de lazer enquanto loci para o comum urbano

Abstract

This monograph aims to highlight how the institution of the urban common relates to the appropriation of urban squares and parks as public spaces for leisure, having as guiding question: to what extent does the social appropriation of urban squares and parks as public leisure spaces enable the institution of the Common? In terms of methodology and methods, the research is considered fundamental regarding its nature, exploratory-descriptive concerning its objectives, and qualitative in relation to data tabulation and approach. It is based on a bibliographic research of the main theories of the Common, situating the theme of the urban Common within these frameworks, utilizing articles sourced at the Scielo platform and theses and dissertations from graduate programs with a qualis coefficient of 5 or higher. The research design involves a multiple case study, with the collection of twelve semi-structured interviews — six at Luiz Lopes Correia Square and six at the Bela Vista Park, both located in the city of Vitória de Santo Antão-PE. Urban commons are essential for the debate on the Common in a globalized context marked by power struggles and not only spatial fragmentation but also fragmentation of interpersonal relationships. Recreation, referring to playfulness and the process of creating experiences and new living, permeates various stages of life and denotes the possibilities for social change through the realization of either leisure or idleness. Squares and parks present the institution of network territories or discontinuous territories, which feature numerous spaces whose social appropriation comes from distinct groups with specific needs, often producing conflict situations among them. From the analysis of interviews and real-time observation, it is recognized that public squares and urban parks function as loci of routine social encounters, which help nourish leisure as a manifestation of culture, fostering urban dialogue and representing territories of human life, while requiring, in particular, the political and social organization necessary for the culture of the urban Common.