Right to the city, new agendas and characters on stage in Belo Horizonte in the 21st century

Abstract

The article aims to provide an overview, in a panoramic and non-exhaustive approach, of the social and collective movements active in Belo Horizonte that relate to the perspective of the right to the city, analyzing their agendas and repertoires of collective action in the first two decades of the 21st century, highlighted by insurgencies and activism. As a theoretical basis, the polysemic concept of the right to the city is discussed, establishing a dialogue with the notion of intersectionality, in a broader sense that encompasses the socio-spatial dimension. The methodology employed, which is qualitative and exploratory in nature, is based on bibliographic reviews and documentary surveys. The work points to the expansion and reconfiguration of the movementist fabric, identifying a plurality of collective actors emerging on the scene, from new actors to others who are reorganizing themselves: insurgencies and cultural movements; movements and collectives associated with new urban occupations, focused on environmental and urban issues; gender, diversity, race, and intersectionality. The movements and collectives employ various repertoires of action, with an emphasis on forms of direct action, challenging and resisting the various forms of oppression and the city's management model based on urban entrepreneurship; they reframe everyday life and public spaces, revealing multiple nuances of the right to the city.