Descrição
The objective of this study is to contribute in an integrated way, to understand the recent changes in the organization of the dynamic system of Brazilian cities, prioritizing the rank-size of urban centers. This analysis was made for the period 1991-2010. The rank-size relationship in a system of cities has been studied by constructing a graph with logarithmic scale on both axes. The graph shows an imbalance between the 2nd city and the cities that immediately follow the hierarchy until close to a population of 3,000,000 inhabitants. From there, we can say that there is an almost regular basis, especially for the years 2000 and 2010. The rank-size graph has also been produced for all states, classified into three groups: (i) states with extremely unbalanced urban system, (ii) states with unbalanced urban system, (iii) states with little unbalanced urban system. The analysis allows us to state that the system of cities in Brazil has undergone important changes that express, in the urbanized space, the economic and social changes across the country. Indeed, the growing integration of the Brazilian economy and society has been manifested by the tendency to greater regularity (de-concentration) and diversity in the distribution of cities by rank-size.||O objetivo deste trabalho é o de contribuir, de forma integrada, para o entendimento das mudanças recentes na organização do dinâmico sistema de cidades brasileiras, priorizando a relação tamanho/hierarquia dos centros urbanos. A referida análise foi feita para o período 1991-2010. A relação tamanho-hierarquia em um sistema de cidades tem sido estudada através da construção de um gráfico com escala logarítmica nos dois eixos. O gráfico mostra um desequilíbrio entre a 2ª cidade e as que seguem imediatamente na hierarquia até próximo a uma população de 3.000.000 de habitantes. A partir daí, pode-se dizer que há uma quase regularidade, sobretudo para os anos 2000 e 2010. O gráfico tamanho-hierarquia foi também produzido para todos os Estados, classificados em três grupos: (i) Estados com sistema urbano extremamente desequilibrado; (ii) Estados com sistema urbano desequilibrado; (iii) Estados com sistema urbano pouco desequilibrado. A análise efetuada permite afirmar que o sistema de cidades no Brasil tem passado por importantes mudanças que expressam, no espaço urbanizado, as alterações econômicas e sociais de todo o país. Com efeito, a crescente integração da economia e da sociedade brasileiras tem se manifestado pela tendência a uma maior regularidade (desconcentração) e diversidade na distribuição das cidades por tamanho-hierarquia.
Abstract
RECENT DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF BRAZILIAN URBAN SYSTEM: A RANK-SIZE ANALYSIS
The objective of this study is to contribute in an integrated way, to understand the recent changes in the organization of the dynamic system of Brazilian cities, prioritizing the rank-size of urban centers. This analysis was made for the period 1991-2010. The rank-size relationship in a system of cities has been studied by constructing a graph with logarithmic scale on both axes. The graph shows an imbalance between the 2nd city and the cities that immediately follow the hierarchy until close to a population of 3,000,000 inhabitants. From there, we can say that there is an almost regular basis, especially for the years 2000 and 2010. The rank-size graph has also been produced for all states, classified into three groups: (i) states with extremely unbalanced urban system, (ii) states with unbalanced urban system, (iii) states with little unbalanced urban system. The analysis allows us to state that the system of cities in Brazil has undergone important changes that express, in the urbanized space, the economic and social changes across the country. Indeed, the growing integration of the Brazilian economy and society has been manifested by the tendency to greater regularity (de-concentration) and diversity in the distribution of cities by rank-size.
