ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the So Paulo metropolis and the localities studied, as well as the main procedures and tools adopted in the research. It briefly describes the So Paulo metropolitan region, focusing in particular on its urban structure, peripheries and segregation patterns. The chapter analyzes the recent dynamics of poverty and inequalities in the access to services and policies. It discusses the choice and localization of the studied fields, followed by the systemization of the methodological procedures employed. Then, it exemplifies the diversity of urban situations present in So Paulo, both in terms of segregation and in what concerns housing conditions. It explores heterogeneity and analyzes the effects of spatial segregation and personal networks in conjunction, locations with fairly distinct forms of urban insertion were selected for the network survey. The chapter describes the study and compares the different locations researched based on indicators.
