Abstract
Manufacturing in metropolitan areas has been drastically transformed. This case study of São Paulo, Brazil contributes new insights to debates about urban economies by shedding light on micro-urban manufacturing – an activity that, despite its pervasiveness, is usually left out of planning theory and discourses. First, I broadly frame this debate by retracing the relationship between economic activity and urban development in the historical making of São Paulo. Second, I analyze micro-manufacturing as a segment within the broader context of manufacturing, highlighting its relevance, ubiquity, and resilience. Next, I examine micro-manufacturing activities by themselves and point out at their heterogeneity. Finally, I describe the emergence of two unique geographies of micro-urban manufacturing in the city.
urban economic development; micro-urban manufacturing; urban planning; São Paulo