This paper describes the urbanization experience of Brazil, the largest country in Latin America and also a nation that has attained levels of urbanization that surpass those of most European countries. Despite historical differences in timing and context, the trajectory of urbanization in Brazil holds many parallels and lessons for other countries that are currently undergoing rapid urban growth. Reflections drawing from experience in Brazil, including the failed policies of the past and the innovative but partly proven policies of the present, could help policy makers in countries facing similar challenges deal more successfully with their own urban transitions.
The paper includes sections that discuss the stages of the urban transition in Brazil, including industrialization, demographic transition and urban growth, the social and environmental consequences of the abrupt urban transition, the determinants of urban economic success, and urban policy and planning in Brazil.
The intention of this study is to provide the basis for such reflections with a broad-based case study of urban growth and urbanization in Brazil that will situate this process within the trajectory of the country’s overall development pathway. By improving the understanding of trends and patterns, and their relation to other social, economic, political and demographic processes, this study provides insights into policy options likely to be relevant to countries still in the midst of their own urban transitions.