CATEGORIZATION OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY OF SOROCABA (SP) TO CREATE A MUNICIPAL SYSTEM INTEGRATING OPEN SPACES AND PROTECTED AREAS

Abstract

Protected and open green areas can provide many ecosystem services in the urban environment that contribute to the improvement of the quality of life. However, there is a confusion of terminology between these areas, and their management is often not performed integratedly. This research proposes a categorization of natural elements in the city of Sorocaba, state of São Paulo, Brazil, to create a municipal system integrating open green spaces and protected areas, based on physical and biotic characteristics and social functions of these spaces. The methodology was divided into three steps: first, literature review of the concept of “park” which is used in Brazil and in the world; second, documentary and spatial analysis of open spaces and parks in Sorocaba; third, construction of a municipal system of open spaces and protected areas. The final classification proposes to divide the spaces into categories including: Protected Areas, subdivided into full protection areas (indirect use) and sustainable use (direct use), Environmental Interest Areas and Open Spaces for Public Use and Social Interest. We also proposed goals for the expansion of these areas based on the recommendations of environmental agencies and the global biodiversity targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity.