REGIONAL PLANNING AND URBAN INTERCONNECTIVITY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF UNAÍ (MG) IN PROMOTING MUNICIPAL COHESION IN NORTHWEST MINAS GERAIS

desafios e oportunidades do município de Unaí (MG) na promoção da coesão do noroeste mineiro

Abstract

This study analyzes the role of the municipality of Unaí (MG) in promoting municipal cohesion and urban interconnectivity in the northwest region of Minas Gerais, considering its position within the regional urban network and its economic significance in the context of agribusiness. The research is qualitative in nature and is based on a literature review, documentary analysis, and the use of secondary data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), particularly from the Region of Influence of Cities (REGIC), the Demographic Censuses, and the Municipal Agricultural Production (PAM) surveys, as well as field analyses. The results show that Unaí plays a central role in coordinating the flows of capital, goods, and services, establishing itself as an important regional hub. Its classification by the IBGE as a Sub-Regional Center B demonstrates its capacity to act as a hub for the other municipalities in the Urucuia River Valley, strengthened by the concentration of agricultural and livestock activities, specialized services, cooperatives, financial institutions, and logistics infrastructure. It was found that regional urban interconnectivity contributes to the functional integration of municipalities and to the economic dynamism of the territory, although it also reveals challenges related to sustainability and the socio-spatial inequalities associated with the expansion of agribusiness. It can be concluded that Unaí plays a strategic role in shaping the regional urban network and promoting territorial cohesion in the northwest of Minas Gerais, establishing itself as one of the main centers of economic and functional coordination in the mesoregion and microregion under study.