Espaços públicos e inclusão social: uma análise da hospitalidade do Centro Histórico de São Luís para as pessoas em situação de rua e manifestações culturais

Abstract

The concept of public space encompasses areas and locations accessible to all citizens, regardless of their social, economic, or cultural backgrounds. These spaces play a fundamental role in the development of healthy communities, serving as the backdrop where social dynamics occur, promoting citizenship, and contributing to the construction of a collective identity. In the face of transformations occurring in contemporary cities, there has been an observed increase in the use of social control strategies to exclude individuals considered undesirable, such as people experiencing homelessness and marginalized groups, from these socially and economically significant locations. This research focuses on analyzing the hospitality of the historic center of São Luís for people experiencing homelessness and cultural manifestations. To achieve this, direct observation of the physical environment was adopted as the primary research method, collecting data on the physical and functional aspects of the space through interviews, photographs, and notes as recording tools. The data were qualitatively analyzed, revealing a low incidence of social control strategies in the studied public spaces, which contributes to making these places welcoming and preserving the social dynamics that occur within them. These dynamics include social interactions, political expressions, cultural activities, commerce, leisure, and recreation. It is therefore concluded that leisure, sociability, commerce, and tourism activities coexist harmoniously in these spaces, highlighting the importance of policies and practices that promote inclusion and democratic coexistence in historically significant urban environments.