At medium cities are usually defined as cities with more than 100 and 500 thousand inhabitants, which are not part of metropolitan regions (not they can be, therefore, neither metropolises nor satellite cities) and that present a relative degree of advancement in their economy and infrastructure. Although the population quantity is considered a criterion for its definition, it is not considered the most important element. The important thing to be considered is that these cities tend to polarize smaller cities and establish around them an environment composed of urban centers that are directly influenced by them.
Among the various examples of medium-sized cities in the country, we can mention: Caruaru (PE), Anápolis (GO), Imperatriz (MA), Ponta Grossa (PR), Uberaba (MG), among others.
These cities are currently acquiring an increasingly important role in the Brazilian economy, as they are the main destination centers for industries, jobs and qualified labor. This happens thanks to the current moment of industrial deconcentration underway in the country.
Historically, industrialization was concentrated in the metropolises, since the intention of the factories was to find a location in the proximity to the main urban centers, in order to facilitate logistics in the dissemination of goods and to acquire more labor cockroach. However, with advances in the means of communication and transport, as well as the lesser dependence of industries on the number of workers - which are now employed in smaller numbers, but with higher levels of qualification - there is no longer any need, on the part of entrepreneurs, to face the daily lives of major cities.
In addition, large urban agglomerations present, in a way, certain problems that act as obstacles to the industrial production, such as chaotic transits, microclimatic disturbances (such as the Heat Islands and Thermal Inversion), among others situations. Another factor associated with this “industry flight” from large capitals is the Fiscal War, since smaller cities offer bigger and better conditions in terms of tax incentives.
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For this reason, medium-sized cities ended up becoming major attractions for industries in the country, as they offer a mass of workers in sufficient quantity, in addition to generally presenting infrastructure at high levels and standards. organization. For this reason, these cities usually present themselves as places with excellent employment opportunities, but only for skilled labor.
In Brazil, medium-sized cities, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), formed, until 2010, a group of municipalities that grew far beyond the national average. The average economic growth rate measured by the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of these cities was 153% between the years 2004 and 2010, against a growth of 94% of the national GDP in the same period. The offer of formal employment also increased by 70% in medium-sized cities.
The great challenge of these cities, currently, is to contain or control the speed of their urbanization processes. This is because their respective urban spaces are, in general, legacies of the recent past, in which the general aspects and internal structure correspond to those of smaller cities. Thus, when urbanizing quickly, these spaces will not always be able to absorb the exponential increase in inhabitants, vehicles, houses and others, listing a possible occurrence of problems that already exist in large metropolises Brazilian companies.
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* Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
By Rodolfo Alves Pena
Graduated in Gegoraphy
