The Cosmetic Urbanism and the Emptying of Brasília’s Setor Comercial Sul: The Case of Block 05

Abstract

This article analyzes Block 05 of the Setor Comercial Sul (SCS) in Brasília as a case study to discuss the limits of urban renewal policies centered on physical and infrastructural interventions in public space. Starting from the diagnosis of functional emptying in central areas in the Brazilian context, intensified by economic shifts and the post-pandemic period, it argues that improvements to sidewalks, paving, lighting, and urban furniture, although important, do not automatically translate into urban activation when they are disconnected from the social, economic, and institutional dynamics that sustain everyday vitality. Methodologically, the research combines documentary analysis of public projects and actions, on-site observation across different days and time periods, and data triangulation, supported by three-dimensional modeling to spatialize the evidence. The discussion draws on the frameworks of Jacobs, Gehl, and Milton Santos to interpret the mismatch between upgraded fixed urban elements and weakened urban flows, showing how vacancy, inactive street fronts, and vulnerabilities intensify in low-visibility layers such as service lanes and the underground level. It concludes that the activation of the SCS depends on continuous territorial governance, diversification of uses, strengthening of the local economy, and coordinated strategies for care and everyday safety.