Quando o território constrói sentido : um estudo sobre o processo de sensemaking em um empreendimento urbano planejado

Abstract

Sensemaking is an interpretative process through which people construct an understanding of situations, focusing on how meaning is produced through social interactions. Territory encompasses the deliberate appropriation of a geographic space and its concrete and symbolic dimensions. The main objective of this research is to understand how a territory capable of stimulating the construction of collective meaning can generate competitive advantages for the companies operating there. The guiding question was: how does the creation of meaning occur through interaction with the territory? The research adopted a qualitative, exploratory approach, developed through a single case study of the planned neighborhood Parque Una, located in the city of Pelotas (Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil). The construction of the empirical study was preceded by a systematic review of the literature, from which a conceptual framework was developed that revealed, in light of the theory, dimensions of sensemaking based on the territory. This framework guided the data collection stage, carried out through 23 semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs, collaborators and users of the territory, complemented by direct observations and documentary analysis. The analysis allowed us to validate the dimensions proposed in the framework and understand how they manifest themselves in the territory. Among the most recurrent dimensions are identity, neighborhood, sense of place, sense of community, care and territorial value. The results demonstrated that the territory can be understood as a strategic asset for organizations, influencing the creation of collective meaning, the feeling of belonging and the construction of organizational identity, while enhancing the expansion of its symbolic, relational and operational limits. The research also provides insights for developing urban planning projects focused on sensemaking, promoting social interaction and encounters, emphasizing individual perceptions and the quality of relationships between people and places. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]