Reconfigurations in the urban network paraibana: the urban-regional roles played by Sub-Regional Centers and Zone Centers

Abstract

The research presented in this article constitutes a scope of the Doctoral Thesis developed between 2019 and 2023. It aims to discuss the reconfigurations occurring in the urban network, focusing empirically on the Brazilian state of Paraíba, particularly concerning the expansion of the number of hierarchies and the roles they play in the urban-regional context. To achieve this objective, studies from the Região de Influência das Cidades (REGIC), secondary data collection, and exploratory fieldwork were analyzed. These were conducted to understand the dynamics of Sub-Regional Centers and Zone Centers, the analyzed urban hierarchies, as well as theoretical readings that encompass important discussions about urbanization in the Northeast region, the urban network, and the concepts of urban hierarchy and heterarchy. From this reflection, it was concluded that the Sub-Regional Centers and Zone Centers, previously considered of little relevance to the urban-regional articulation of the state of Paraíba, have come to play significant roles in the urban network as a result of the transformations analyzed. The hierarchical pattern has undergone changes due to the reconfigurations observed in the urban structure of these urban centers.