Praça da Sé

the role of transportation in the transformations and continuities throughout the 20th and 21st centuries

Abstract

This paper examines the role, impact, and influences of transportation on the transformations and continuities of Praça da Sé, located in São Paulo, Brazil, throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. The research analyzes the different appearances the square has acquired, establishing a historiographical periodization to understand the predominant means of transportation in each era, as well as the urban planning ideals that shaped its configurations. By using iconographic and cartographic analyses, the study seeks to identify the physical attributes of the square that have endured over time and impact its current urban life quality. Direct relationships were found between the physical aspects of the built urban environment and the human activities carried out within it.