Patrimônio cultural como indutor do planejamento urbano e ambiental

The study is directed to the municipality of Bertioga, located on the coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Forte São João de Bertioga, its historic site, its surroundings and the area covered, connect to the Itapanhaú river basin, the main basin in the municipality. This context has an intense relationship with the urban area and the limits of environmental preservation, reinforcing cultural, landscape and architectural connections, as central elements of the research. The objective of the work is to provoke a reflection on the importance of cultural heritage and offer a theoretical and propositional basis, based on the identification of the main temporal, spatial and environmental aspects of cultural heritage, as an inducer of the urban and environmental planning process in the municipality of Bertioga . The research was exploratory, bibliographic and documentary. The material collected from the documentary survey, information, data and other references was systematized, organized, presented and discussed. It is emphasized that Forte São João de Bertioga, its surroundings and the entire landscape that surrounds it, has a cultural and socio-environmental function, containing the fundamental elements in preserving the cultural heritage of the municipality and region. It is concluded that cultural heritage must be considered and incorporated in all its breadth and complexity in urban and environmental planning, aiming for the sustainable development of the municipality of Bertioga.