Participatory processes in recent experiences of regional planning: the case of Vale do Rio Pardo

Abstract

The experience of regional planning in Brazil in the last two decades has revealed the challenge of reasserting regional dynamics in face of globalized economy pressures and the consequent restructuring of the territory. This is the case of Vale do Rio Pardo, located on the slopes of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), constituted by 23 municipalities. Its main economic basis is the leaf tobacco production and processing by multinational corporations. Though this article we discuss about the concepts of region-wide planning and participatory processes, considering some approaches that focus the complexity of social and spatial relations in nowadays. We also present the political and methodological contributions in three different moments of strategic planning in the region.