Urban Void or Underutilized? Among Concepts and Classifications

Abstract

In the face of the numerous approaches that consider the phenomenon of urban voids in contemporary cities, it arises issues related to the coverage of the term urban voids and the categories used in technical and academic inventories. Sometimes the gap is only associated to urban land never previously occupied before and to interstitial areas, sometimes it's related to the condition of vacant structures that have been altered the use and occupation by deflation. Therefore, this article intends to discuss concepts and suggest a classification, in the scale of the actual lot, for the urban voids and underutilized properties, which will be illustrated with examples found in the tumbled Historic Center (Donwtown) in João Pessoa, PB. It discusses here different approaches that generates several points: when a space is considered urban void? Which aspects surrounds the condition of underutilization? Are obsolete buildings considered just as empty not utilized lots? Based on a literature review of the main authors who discuss the issue, it was created a classification that distinguishes the "urban voids" of "underused property". It is believed that this distinction is essential for ensuring the cohesion to a concept that might otherwise be extended indefinitely, being able to designate several spaces and, therefore, confusing the analysis' object.