Insurgent Territories

The Environmental Crisis and Ecosocialist Alternatives in the Urban Context

Abstract

This article analyzes the impacts of environmental crises on major Brazilian cities, discussing the potential of ecosocialist alternatives to mitigate their effects through sustainable urban solutions. The research adopts a qualitative approach and a deductive method, based on a literature review and documentary analysis of municipal inventories and public policies. It is assumed that climate change exacerbates urban inequalities, disproportionately affecting peripheral territories and vulnerable populations (Acselrad, 2009; Maricato, 2011). In this context, ecosocialism offers a critical theoretical framework that advocates for a reorganization of the relationship between society and nature, breaking with the productivist logic of urban capitalism (Angus, 2016; Löwy, 2019). Practices such as urban gardening, solidarity economy networks, and green infrastructure emerge as concrete expressions of socio-environmental resistance and territorial self-management (Justo, 2020; Quinto et al., 2021). It was found that public policies grounded in environmental justice, popular participation, and the territorialization of rights are essential to addressing climate crises at the local level. The study concludes that an ecosocialist transition requires expanding democratic governance mechanisms, adopting inclusive planning tools, and recognizing the role of peripheral communities in building resilient cities (Harvey, 2012; Swyngedouw; Kaika, 2014). When linked to international networks such as C40 and ICLEI, these measures may foster new urban institutionalities committed to sustainability and equity.