Regional economy and the formation of the critical urban theory: Wilson Cano lessons

Abstract

This article pays tribute to Professor Wilson Cano’s intellectually critical reflection on Brazilian urbanization. It retrieves relevant aspects of his studies on the urban area, with an emphasis on the Northeast. His interpretation of urban areas was built from a global vision of development, where urbanization results from the major structural changes that the country is undergoing, especially as a result of industrialization. He taught us to understand the interrelationships between urban and rural areas and how the resulting connections change urban areas. It follows the methodological path that he himself rigorously indicated in his analyzes. He examines the actions and omissions of the State in the process of regional urbanization, with an emphasis on its performance associated with the private orbit of mercantile capital, and on the recycling capacity of this form of capital. It pays homage to the valuable legacy of his broad research agenda, distinguishing important aspects of the relationship between development and urbanization.