A emergência de aglomerações não metropolitanas no Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

The urban network of the State of Rio Grande do Sul has, at least, four well institutionalized agglomerations: the Greater Porto Alegre Metropolitan Area, the Northeastern Urban Agglomeration (AUNE), the Southern Urban Agglomeration (AUSUL) and the North Coast Agglomeration (AULINORTE). The present paper intends to show that there are, at least, the emergence of two other discontinued urban agglomerations, one under the influence of the town of Santa Maria, in the Central Region of the State, and the other dependent of Passo Fundo, in the Riograndense Plateau. Although there is no conurbation between these two central places and the towns geographically close to them, there is strong evidence of integration shown by flows of commuters who either go to their workplace, to school or both. The population also travels easily by bus from the peripheral areas to the mentioned central places and back to their home towns by the intermunicipal bus transportation system. Other studies have classified Passo Fundo as part of a discontinued agglomeration with towns lying outside its geographical boundaries and Santa Maria as a Regional Center playing a different role from the one defined in the present paper. Key words: discontinued urban aglomerations; urban and regional economics; regional development.