Urban street fairs in Curitiba from the ecosocioeconomy perspective

ABSTRACT

Despite boosting cities and preserving local culture in the face of changes imposed on urban markets in the global south, urban street fairs are territories that are still not well understood. Our objective is to evaluate urban street fairs as a locus of local territorial development from the perspective of the ecosocioeconomy. Methodologically, it is a survey with a sample of 334 on 485 street vendors in Curitiba, complemented by documentary surveys, interviews, and observations in-situ. As a result, urban street fairs are socio-productive arrangements emerging from the interaction among multiple rationalities; street vendors opt for their work due to tradition and preference for trade and not a market limitation; natural products (organic and traditional) are links between ecologically desirable commercial and productive practices. The perspective of ecosocioeconomy captures the material and symbolic constitution and development of urban street fairs as a complex relational territory embedded in the city, with its internalized and externalized interrelations in an urban governance system influenced by different rationalities and constituted by a multiplicity of actors in different spaces and times.

KEYWORDS:

• Ecosocioeconomy
• sustainable development
• socio-productive arrangements
• urban street fairs
• street vendors

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Funding Agency #1- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES FINANCE CODE 001) under Grant [FINANCE CODE 001]; Funding Agency #2 - Fundação Araucária de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Estado do Paraná under Grant number Fundação Araucária Protocol: 49776.522.39585.01022018; and Productivity Scholarship of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).

Notes on contributors

Mario Procopiuck

Mario Procopiuck is a professor at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, leader of the Public Policy Research Line of the Graduate Program in Urban Management (PPGTU), and co-leader of the Center for Studies in Urban Policies (CE.URB). He was elected vice-coordinator of the Advisory Committee of the Applied Social Sciences Area of the Araucária Foundation for Support to Scientific and Technological Development of the State of Paraná, and productivity-researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), linked to the Advisory Committee of Architecture, Demography, Geography, Tourism, Urban and Regional Planning, in the area of Urban Policy. His research focuses on organizational studies and public policy, with interests in urban policies, urban management, urban technologies, public and societal governance, and ecosocioeconomic development.

Carlos Alberto Cioce Sampaio

Carlos Alberto Cioce Sampaio is, in Brazilian institutions, a Graduate Program (GP) professor in Regional Development (FURB), Environmental Science (UNISUL – Ânima Institute), and Governance and Sustainability (ISAE); a visiting professor at the GP in Society, Technology, and the Environment (UniEvangélica); a collaborating professor at the GPs in and Environment Health and Sustainability (USP), Environment and Development (UFPR), and Environmental Sciences (UNEMAT) in the legal Amazon; and a researcher at CNPq and a collaborating researcher at the Global Cities Synthesis Center (IEA-USP). He is a vice-president of the Manfred Max-Neef Foundación, Chile. His research focuses on Ecosocioeconomies, especially experiences from political arrangements and socioeconomic chains that impact society.

Schirlei Mari Freder

Schirlei Mari Freder is a postdoctoral researcher at the Graduate Program in Urban Management (PPGTU) at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR); a member of the Laboratory of Studies on Ethnicity, Racism, and Discrimination (LEER) at the University of São Paulo; and a guest professor at the Graduate School of Business (FAE) and at the Graduate Program in Administration (ISAE). She has already taught at the lato sensu graduate course in Architecture in Urbanism (PUCPR) and Social Policy and Ruralities (UNINTER). She has research interests in Brazil in the areas of Public and Private Administration, emphasizing public policy and cultural heritage, sustainability, and new economies.

Manon Garcia

Manon Garcia has a doctorate and master’s in Urban Management from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR) in Brazil. She currently coordinates the Public Management course at the International University Centre UNINTER in Curitiba. She is a researcher in the areas of urban ecosocioeconomics, good living, public policy, gender, and territorial development at the Ecosocioeconomics Centre (NEcos) of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) and the Blumenau Regional University Foundation (FURB).

Altair Rosa

Altair Rosa is an assistant professor in the School of Fine Arts in architecture and urbanism and a researcher at the lab cities, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR). He obtained his PhD from the Department of Hydraulic Engineering and Sanitation, University of Sao Paulo. His research interests are mainly critical in policies and urban theories, urban and environmental planning, and urban structuring and sanitation of cities.