ABSTRACT
Introduction Most large and medium-sized cities in Brazil have undergone a very fast growth process in the last three to four decades. Although there were regional differences, the cities mostly faced the same problem: that urban growth was not matched by the investment to cope with the ever-growing infrastructure demand. The form of urban growth-peripheral leapfrogging development that left behind large vacant areas within the built-up area-also increased the problems. The reasons for this kind of urban growth rate and form can be found in the socio-economic problems that the country experienced during the period.
