ALMEIDA, A. C.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/1867517488996205; ALMEIDA, Arinalda Cordeiro de.
Resumen:
This research is part of a broad proposal directed to the development of a systematic
methodology of sustainability indexes that can operationalize the concept of sustainable
development and measure the sustainability of cities with participative democratic practices.
In this way, this study applied this methodology which provided an index of sustainability of
the city of Pitimbu-PB, through the perception of a group of social actors within the
perspective of the sustainable local development. This perspective is important because
describes the progress occurred in the traditional methodology of the Index of Sustainable
Development for Cities - ISDC, what contributed to the Index of Participative Sustainable
Development for City’s methodology - IPSDC, which brings the inclusion of local social
actors. This study presented an exploratory and descriptive nature and was guided as a case
study. Its methodological trajectory is comprised of quantitative and qualitative approaches on
the Sustainable Development Indicator Systems. In this way, the indicators were defined
based on the “Indicadores de Desenvolvimento Sustentável dos Estados Brasileiros e dos
Municípios” model, proposed by Martins and Cândido (2008). The research was performed
through a non-participant observation and visits to the city. Secondary data and necessary
information to the development of this area were surveyed, as well. The results found in the
six sustainability dimensions and their respective themes and indicators contributed to the
obtainment of the dashboard of sustainability of the city of Pitimbu, which value is 0,4613; it
represents an alert situation to the sustainable development. The progress obtained with the
innovation and the use of a new participative methodology to the DSDC guarantees the
participation of social actors, whose experience is a mark of difference from the former
method. The IPSDC’s methodology, developed to evaluate the level of the sustainability of
the city, is a new experience which aims to build, by the local community participation, new
perspectives to the city context. The application of this tool allowed the visualization of the
sustainability level of the city of Pitimbu, and at the same time provided a set of fundamental
information to the creation and implementation of public politics of development and
strengthening of the sustainable local development process.
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