VALUING TERRITORIES: REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT BEYOND THE RURALURBAN DICHOTOMY IN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF SANTA CRUZ DO SUL/RS

Abstract

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the development process of territories, highlighting the contradictions of the existing dichotomy between rural and urban areas. The municipality of Santa Cruz do Sul was used as an empirical cutout due to the economic and social configurations of the territory and the importance of family agriculture in its economy through the tobacco production chain. This is a discussion sustained by the bibliographical review on rural and urban dichotomy, in the context of territorial development, based on contemporary literature related to the area of Regional Development. It presents a critique of the developmental model based on the industrialization and urbanization of the territory, to the detriment of the precariousness of government resources in the rural environment. It highlights the need to enhance the potential of the municipality, considering the rural environment as an intrinsic part of the development processes of territories.