Ceilândia: from the right to the city to city-making

Abstract

This study examines the formation of Ceilândia through the lens of the concepts of “right to the city” and “city-making”. By exploring the construction of Brasília and its then-called “satellite cities” (now known as administrative regions), the dissonance between the modernist ideal and the segregating reality is revealed. The builders of the federal capital became excluded residents, mobilizing in the struggle for housing. This fight transformed them into urban agents, transcending official planning and expanding the concept of “right to the city”. The article addresses important aspects of Brasília’s planning and creation, contextualizing the emergence of the satellite cities, particularly the administrative region of Ceilândia. It examines the historical processes that led to the occupation and organization of this territory, as well as its contemporary urban expansion. The analysis focuses on the social agents involved in the construction of Ceilândia, highlighting the dynamic between the right to the city and city-making, demonstrating how its inhabitants appropriated the space and shaped their own reality. Anchored in an anthropological analysis in dialogue with sociology, geography, architecture, history, and urban planning, the study also discusses the interaction between urban regulations and the everyday practices of residents in transforming this territory. It explores issues related to its contemporary expansion and the role of different social actors in the city’s construction process. Ceilândia thus emerges as a concrete example of the relationship between the right to the city and city-making, highlighting collective action in shaping urban space.