Urban Segregation and Environmental Justice in Montes Claros: A Critical Analysis of the City’s Comprehensive Plan

Abstract

This article analyzes the environmental impacts of segregative urbanization in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, with particular attention to the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Based on qualitative, bibliographic, and documentary research, the study examines how uneven urban expansion, socio-spatial segregation, infrastructure deficiencies, and the occupation of environmentally sensitive areas have shaped the city’s development. It argues that, although the Comprehensive Plan establishes important guidelines for urban organization, sustainability, and the social function of property, it remains insufficiently integrated with environmental protection, housing policy, mobility, and participatory governance. The article highlights the need to strengthen urban planning instruments, curb real estate speculation, promote social housing in well-served areas, protect drainage systems and green spaces, and ensure broader citizen participation. It concludes that overcoming segregative urbanization in Montes Claros requires a more integrated, adaptive, and socio-environmentally oriented planning model capable of promoting a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive city.