Strategic occupation project of the córrego da Aldeia’s valley bottom in the urban perimeter of Fernandópolis/SP

Abstract Urban policies lead to the occupation of the valley bottoms without respecting the natural dynamics, applying the environmental legislation and the urbanistic instruments in a similar way to the rural area. In addition, these areas suffer with real estate market devaluation and abandonment by the public authorities. In recent years environmentalists and urbanists have debated on the understanding of the current Forestry Code application in urban areas. Thus, this work carried out in Fernandópolis, SP, in the sources of the Aldeia stream, proved the inefficiency of all projects developed to date. Asphalt paving, rainwater piping and the buffering of some stretches of watercourses aggravated the erosive process. Environmental education and reforestation projects were restricted to small areas and flooding problems were never addressed. The implantation of the linear park of the Aldeia stream demonstrates to be a viable alternative, rescuing and mobilizing the local population, transforming the coexistence with the urban waterways and achieving the desired goals at social, cultural and ecological levels without compromising the important role of valley bottom areas in maintaining biodiversity and environmental balance.