ABSTRACT
This essay proposes a model of field observation and recording guided by the characteristics and conditions of the use of the place, which are identified according to the urban vitality of the place. In this work, we have assessed the traditional Madureira neighborhood, located in the suburban area of the city of Rio de Janeiro. This neighborhood was part of the process of constructing a “global city” in Rio de Janeiro, based on the re-qualification of public spaces and the strengthening of local culture with the objective of preserving values, communication among users, and their self-identity. The main hypothesis is that, in spite of the many efforts made by the public power to build a “scenario-city”, idealized within the search for the so-called globalization, the process has, in reality, resulted in the construction of a different city, which is the result of the manifestation of its population. This can be recognized in Madureira by observing how the reminiscent spaces of road constructions were appropriated, and how they have become part of this identity, awarding this space a very peculiar vitality. The methodology consisted of a theoretical-practical approach combined with the theories proposed by three important theoretical references in the field. This approach allowed the systematization of three basic characteristics of observation and recording on the selected object. The initial hypothesis was verified by a “city reading” carried out in the neighborhood of Madureira.
