SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF URBAN PUBLIC PARKS:

POSSIBILITIES TO THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF LEISURE IN THE CITY OF MONTES CLAROS-MG

Abstract

In the last decades, the creation of Urban Public Parks has been a process present in different Brazilian cities, including medium-sized cities, as in the case of Montes Claros - MG. In addition to functions related to environmental conservation and urban landscape/aesthetics, Urban Parks are also important spaces for leisure experiences, being linked to different instruments of Urban, Environmental Policy and, also, Sports and Leisure in the municipalities. In this regard, the present article proposes to analyze the processes of creation and spatial distribution of Public Parks in the city of Montes Claros-MG, to better understand some relations between these spaces and leisure associated to intra-urban regionalization and correspondence to different indicators. In the results, it is evident that Montes Claros-MG follows the main trends related to the creation of these spaces in the national context, with emphasis on the most recent phase, in which there is a significant increase in the number of Parks in the city and the distribution of this equipment towards to peripheral regions of lower income, large population and low index of quality of urban life for leisure (IQV-Lazer), which can contribute to a greater diversity of experiences in these regions and democratization of access to leisure in the city.