Heterotopias in the History of Belo Horizonte Municipal Park: from the Caretaker’s House to an Unfinished Multipurpose Complex

Abstract

Public urban spaces, such as parks, shape the dynamic and complex landscapes of cities. Steeped in
and influenced by historical processes, these places accommodate multiple purposes, addressing
the needs and interests of their visitors. Within this context, heterotopic possibilities emerge, that
is, phenomena that take shape in space-times, fostering practices that disrupt or reconfigure the
production of social space. Drawing on this theoretical framework, this article seeks to apprehend
the heterotopic processes that have shaped the production and historical organization of a social
space within the Américo Renné Giannetti Municipal Park, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
We adopt an analytical approach grounded in Foucault’s (2013) principles of heterotopias,
complemented by the theoretical contributions of Lefebvre (1974) and De Certeau (1994). We argue that the reproduction of social space is marked by tactics and strategies that transcend formal,
institutional, and morally accepted frameworks, giving rise to “other spaces” that challenge and
reconfigure hegemonic structures conceived by those in power. Rather than adopting a generalized
perspective, we focus on a specific public urban park and, in particular, on a distinctly heterotopic
space within it. As we examine its characteristics and historical trajectory, in line with Martins,
Corrêa, and Carrieri (2023), we highlight the significance of “minor administration,” a perspective
centered on everyday life that brings to light the fissures and lines of escape generated by the
actions of ordinary people.