Habitar o Comércio, uma questão central: a política habitacional no bairro do Comércio em Salvador (1970- 2024).

Abstract

In recent decades, the central areas of Brazil’s major metropolitan regions have experienced marked processes of population decline and urban depreciation, driven by economic and political transformations as well as shifts in broader urban dynamics. Within Salvador’s Historic Center, the neighborhood of Comércio illustrates this pattern in a particularly emblematic way, showing a progressive loss of residents and a succession of interventions primarily directed toward cultural and tourism-oriented revitalization. This dissertation examines how Social Interest Housing (HIS) has been considered, addressed, or neglected in public policies and urban proposals formulated for the neighborhood between 1970 and 2024. The research is grounded in extensive documentary analysis, including legislation, urban development plans, and state and municipal programs, as well as proposals for urban interventions. The methodology encompasses the reconstruction of the historical context of housing in Comércio; an overview of national housing policies and their intersections with the local reality of Salvador; the systematization of proposals designed for the study area; and interviews with various local stakeholders. The findings demonstrate that, although the discourse surrounding the rehabilitation of Comércio is recurrent, the housing dimension has remained largely secondary in most plans developed since the 1970s. Instead, proposals have consistently prioritized tourism-oriented initiatives, business attraction strategies, land valorization, and the increasing financialization of the territory.