Local development initiatives: the case of São Paulo and ABCD municipalities

It was only in 1930’s and, especially, in the 50’s, that São Paulo (and its Metropolitan Region) became the main industrial hub of Brazil. It was the “Plano de Metas” of President Juscelino Kubitschek that led to the introduction of mass manufacturing industries, with emphasis on the automobile industry, located in the southeast industrial periphery of São Paulo known as ABCD and corresponding to the municipalities of Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo, São Caetano do Sul, Diadema, Mauá, Ribeirão Pires and Rio Grande da Serra. São Paulo is the biggest city in South America and a “Global City”, nevertheless, it is also the “Metrópole das Desigualdades”, with a chaotic process of urbanization, a largely dilapidated housing and with high levels of poverty and social exclusion. With the oil crises, which occurred in the 70’s, the ABCD starts a process of productive restructuring that has led to some industries leaving the area. However, we believe that the conditions are met for the promotion of territorial development strategies based on local and endogenous factors, throughout measures where the local/regional political power interacts and establishes partnerships with other territorial actors: government, companies, financial institutions, business associations, cooperatives, non-governmental organizations and civic movements.