A produção do não-lugar em João Pessoa

Abstract

This study investigates the production of “non-places” in the city of João Pessoa, understood as spaces shaped by urban transformation processes driven by commodification and the intensification of global dynamics of consumption, tourism, and circulation. Drawing on Marc Augé’s concept of the “non-place” as a functional, homogeneous space devoid of lasting social ties, the research analyzes how urban planning and both public and private investments have reconfigured the urban landscape in favor of capital reproduction. In this context, the city is no longer a lived and collectively appropriated space but becomes a consumable object, where time and space are reorganized according to market demands—often at the expense of traditional forms of use. The study highlights the contradictions and social impacts of this development model, emphasizing its role in deepening sociospatial inequalities and weakening the social fabric. The emergence of non-places in João Pessoa is not merely a local reflection of global trends but the material expression of an urban project that subordinates space to market logic, stripping it of symbolic meaning and the sense of belonging. In light of this, the paper calls for a critical reassessment of urban policies, especially regarding how culture is instrumentalized as a tool for economic valorization. Strengthening urban life requires valuing rooted social experiences capable of challenging hegemonic models and fostering a more pluralistic, just, and meaningful urban environment for all inhabitants.