Geoenvironmental Analysis of Urban Expansion in the Southern Vector of Belo Horizonte: Physical aspects of the Estrangulado stream basin and the effects of urbanization on the landscape

The aim of this study was to present a characterization of the physical aspects of the Estrangulado stream basin, an area between the MG-030 highway and Vale S/A's Águas Claras Mine, a region in the municipality of Nova Lima/MG that has been under pressure from the urban expansion of the southern vector of Belo Horizonte/MG. The research proposed an assessment of the physical environment in the face of the urban transformations that have taken place in the region. Through this assessment, the conditions of the physical environment were verified to support the proposed land use established by the municipality's existing urban planning legislation. An erosion process in the study area was then monitored in order to diagnose its evolution. Specialized bibliographical research was used as a method to create an overview of the physical characteristics of the region, as well as field visits to better detail the information obtained. This was followed by descriptive research, in which the characteristics obtained from the physical environment were associated with proposals for occupying the area.