City of Natal lifts verticalization freeze after more than 20 years
- Ricardo Gurgel
- 18 de out.
- 3 min de leitura
Verticalize to Preserve: Why Taller Cities Can Be Greener, More Efficient, and More Prosperous
I’ve said it before and I’ll insist on this point again: a verticalized city can be far more beneficial to the environment than most people imagine. The idea that tall buildings and urban density are enemies of sustainability is a misconception that needs to be overcome. In fact, the opposite is true: by concentrating people and activities in well-planned and well-structured areas, the urban sprawl and its negative impacts on the territory are drastically reduced.
When the population is less dispersed, transportation consumes less fuel, travel times are shorter, and pollutant emissions decrease. Public transportation also becomes more viable and efficient, since the concentration of passengers allows for routes with more rational paths and adequate frequency. In a denser city, every kilometer traveled is more useful, and every investment in mobility infrastructure yields greater returns.
Moreover, verticalization makes environmental and sanitary control easier. It is much simpler and more efficient to inspect the sewage system of a building with dozens of units than to try to supervise hundreds of scattered houses — many of them built illegally and without a connection to the public network. When buildings are required to comply with strict technical standards, waste treatment and disposal systems become standardized, monitorable, and easy to fix. This reduces public health risks and prevents soil and water contamination.
There is also a direct impact on economic development. The construction industry and the real estate market are powerful engines of growth. Each new building creates jobs during construction, drives entire supply chains, and strengthens the local economy. And once completed, these developments continue to generate income and taxes, create services, energize neighborhoods, and increase surrounding property values.
In short, verticalizing does not mean destroying the environment — in many cases, it is the smartest way to preserve it. Cities that understood this have managed to grow in a balanced way, combining quality of life, urban efficiency, and sustainable development. Those that still resist “concrete” need to realize that the future does not lie in endlessly spreading houses across the land, but in planning intelligently and building upward.
The Freeze
Natal’s old Master Plan imposed such strict requirements on vertical buildings that every project faced two options: “better not to build” or “not allowed to build.” In both cases, ideas died at the planning table. It’s no coincidence that João Pessoa, with a much more flexible master plan, flourished — maintaining environmental quality while achieving high-quality construction, population growth, and, consequently, stronger local economies.
“Coincidence” or not, many neighborhoods in Natal simply “stagnated.” The most emblematic example is Cidade Alta: now marked by graffiti and abandoned buildings whose renovation was unfeasible under the previous legislation. And where there are no residents, there is no commerce.
Different Choices, Opposite Results
Two cities followed different paths:
One, by allowing verticalization, became greener, offered a higher quality of life, and saw its neighborhoods revitalized.
The other, by opposing “concrete,” witnessed the uncontrolled spread of urban sprawl, weakened commerce, and widespread abandonment — with entire neighborhoods deteriorating.
Which of these policies achieved greater harmony with the environment? The one that, by restricting construction, encouraged illegal cesspools and decaying buildings? Or the one that attracted private investment, drew in new residents, and required proper waste treatment and disposal systems before project approval? In many cases, families were relocated from unhealthy buildings to regulated housing complexes — an environmental and social advance at the same time.
A New Plan and a Return to Growth
With the update of the Master Plan, Natal has restarted its engines. Projects that began development only after the new law was passed are already, three years later, showing their first transformative effects. Economically, the impact is clear: millions of additional reais in municipal revenue, both from direct taxes and fees and from job creation during construction. And, of course, from the opportunities that will emerge once these new developments are fully operational.
Some of the developments that are a direct result of the changes
Jardins do Potengi
The cancer of public debate is attacking or falling in love with an idea solely because you’re conditioned by the ideological color from which it originated.
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