From plaza to garden: public squares in Brazil – some approaches

Abstract

The development and organization of cities differently concerns each distinct branch of the science. In geographic sciences, specifically urban studies, the present work highlights the study of open spaces, specially the public gardens. Starting from a historic-geographic approach about what does the public garden represent to the Brazilian urban space, from the colonial ages until contemporary days, marked by the expressivity of the private over the public, the individual over the sharing, and, the concrete over the “green”. In this perspective, the squares are seen as potential open spaces to compose the urban green area system, and consequently, as an entertainment area, mainly important to the low purchasing groups of the Brazilian urban people. Keywords: garden, public square, Brazil