Conformation of valley bottoms in the urban area of the West São Paulo cities: Noroeste line

Abstract

The cities formed in the west of São Paulo in the end of the XIX century and the beginning of the XX century still present a very homogeneous landscape, not just for the natural landscape's aspect but also for the occupation form and urban design. It is observed that a series of towns were implanted next to the rivers and others on the watersheds' spigot divisor. One hypothesis to be analyzed is the permanence of open areas along the watercourses - earlier important divisors point of farms that gave rise to the urban area - which may be considered historical references but presenting itself as degraded places and with no identity. The implantation São Paulo cities' network by the first half of XX century can be considered a landmark in urban planning although not using innovative techniques or tools. The main goal was to receive a fast return of the investment done. This way, the geographical cutout chosen for the research development is the study of valley bottom areas in four São Paulo cities located along one of the railroads - the "Noroeste" - researching its current state, analyzing the question of permanencies, the form of occupation, its insertion in the Participative Master Plans and other municipal laws and the relationship between the inhabitants of the city and the rivers and urban streams. The chosen cities were edge line of the railroad: Lins, Penápolis, Botucatu e Araçatuba. (AU)