Piquiá de Baixo, resettlement now! Technical advice and habitat self-management in the fight against mining in Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss the process of social production of habitat, based on an experience of a participatory project for the resettlement of the community of Piquiá de Baixo, in Açailândia, Maranhão, Brazil, victim of the impact of the mining industry linked to the company Vale S.A. We will try to identify some emancipatory potentials and restrictions that have limited autonomy for community resettlement. The methodology consists of a report with critic reflections based on our experience as part of the technical advisory group for the community, covering three stages: first, creating a solution that allowed autonomy in the design of the space, in the context of the public program 'Minha Casa, Minha Vida - Entidades'; second, designing the architectural and urbanistic project considering gender issues; last, facilitating self-managed work for the construction. The conclusion is that, on the one hand, the emancipatory potential of the struggle to produce space has influenced the project, generating a specific urban form with women in a central role. On the other hand, restrictions that limited autonomy, arising from the conflict between the technical and political dimensions of the work, are pointed out.