Transport projects and urban conflict: resistance to formal planning in Fortaleza

Abstract Resistance to transport projects in residential areas has catalyzed various forms of protest since the 1960s. In contexts of informal urban development, such projects often threaten the stability of vulnerable groups, overlooking the needs and desires of low-income communities. This paper explores the concepts of urban conflict and conflictual planning, which encompass practices and actions that challenge formal planning, through an emblematic Brazilian case study – the Comunidades dos Trilhos, in the city of Fortaleza. The paper contributes to the debate on popular planning in the national context by analyzing distinct strategies and their influence on formal planning, considering factors that either enhance or mitigate their transformative potential.