This article reflects on the public administration of the environmental issue in Brazilian cities. The theme is approached through two key themes: the foundations of the constitution of urban space and its relations with the destructive action of the environment and surroundings, the (im)possibilities, and challenges of public administration of the environmental issue in the territory of the city. This is based on questions about the articulation between the theses of sustainability and unsustainability and of the elements that define the configuration of the administration of cities. Theoretical and historic elements are related, emphasizing particularities pertinent to Brazilian society. It concludes that it is impossible for public administration of a corporate style to effectively contribute to a complete reversal of the urban environmental crisis in Brazil, given that this form of management is compelled to favor predatory environmental exploitation because of the nature of the capitalist mode of production.
Environmental question; Cities; Public Administration; Sustainability; Unsustainability