The urban landscape of 20th Street in Goiânia

between memories, histories and transformations

Abstract

This article proposes a discussion about the symbolic, historical, and architectural content of 20th Street, in the Central Sector of Goiânia, and the recent processes that have impacted it. The goal is to analyze some of the transformations that have occurred in its original urban landscape and the resulting erasures. The hypothesis is that the recent availability of properties for sale on this street — including buildings from the city’s construction period — has led to demolitions, uninhabited spaces, and replacements, such as vertical developments, introducing new categories into its contemporary landscape. These changes arise from a lack of knowledge about its original values and, primarily, from the absence of policies aimed at maintaining and revitalizing the historic center. References on the subject and the object of analysis were consulted from both historical and documentary perspectives, along with cartographic studies of the urban space. The historiographic methodology was applied to guide the understanding of the state of the art and to construct the intended discussions. Finally, this article seeks to demonstrate the importance and role of 20th Street in Goiânia’s history and draw attention to the transformations and erasures that have occurred in the landscape of this street, as processes resulting from territorial exploitation policies.