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There has been a lot of talk about the Master Plan and how it can affect the city of São Paulo and impact the entire real estate market. With several media outlets reporting and discussing the debates and new revisions surrounding this municipal law, we at REsource have decided to compile everything you need to know up to this point.
The Strategic Master Plan (PDE) is a regulation responsible for guiding the development and urban growth of the city. The first plan approved in the capital dates to 1971 (Law No. 7,688). Currently, the fourth Master Plan is in effect, established by Law No. 16,050 in 2014. The focus of this plan was on bringing employment and housing closer together.
The intermediate review of the 2014 Master Plan, which is currently under debate in the City Council, was initiated in 2021 by the Bruno Covas Administration and has four pillars as guidelines: social justice, improved quality of life, more rational use of environmental resources, and social participation in decisions regarding the city's future.
The expectation now is for the completion of the legislative process and the definition of the guidelines that will guide the city's urban development in the coming years, with the conclusion of the intermediate review of the law.
The fifth public hearing since the approval of the São Paulo Master Plan review in the first round, which took place at the end of May this year, was held last Thursday (15). During the event, various groups, including social movements, residents, urban planning experts, and representatives of civil society, had the opportunity to publicly present their suggestions for possible changes to the rapporteur's text, by Councilman Rodrigo Goulart (PSD).
The second vote was scheduled for Wednesday (21) but has been postponed to next Monday (26). If the project is approved in the second round, it will still need to be sanctioned by Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB) to take effect.
The draft proposed by Goulart seeks to expand the structural axis zones by increasing the radius limits around subway, train, and bus corridors. Currently, these areas receive incentives for real estate development, such as fee exemptions and permission for tall buildings.
With the revision, these transportation axes could be expanded, increasing the urban area available for the advancement of the real estate market. The influence radius of subway and train stations could be extended from 600 meters to up to 800 meters, and the area around bus corridors could be extended by up to 450 meters.
These changes could result in different construction works and rules within the same block, attracting more investments to inner areas of neighborhoods. Moreover, these areas have advantages that encourage the construction of commercial and mixed-use buildings. As for residential buildings, the debate mainly revolves around the issue of parking spaces. Currently, it is possible to build one parking space per apartment. In the substitute text, the proposal is to allow parking spaces for apartments with a minimum area of 30 square meters, and there is a discussion about limiting the creation of parking spaces for buildings in transportation axes, which in this case should have a minimum area of 60 square meters.
However, the substitute text of the Master Plan that has been accepted by legislators has received criticism from residents for establishing incentives for the development of properties in valued areas of the city, focusing on construction standards targeting the middle class. One example of this is the reduction in costs for offering parking spaces, even in regions with good public transportation availability.
Recently, Estadão reported a study conducted by the Arq.Futuro laboratory, from Insper, which showed that the areas around the Brooklin, Butantã, and Sumaré subway stations had the highest average number of apartment launches following the implementation of incentives and new regulations under the Master Plan. These areas exhibited the highest concentration of residential developments per square kilometer, driven by the appreciation of public transportation, available land inventory, and the thriving real estate sector. The increase in construction activity was further encouraged by the 2014 Master Plan and the 2016 Zoning Law, which offer benefits for constructions near the stations, such as discounts in the calculation of built-up area and incentives for mixed-use buildings combining residences, shops, and offices.
According to the study, the changes were most significant in these neighborhoods, among other factors, due to their proximity to important primary office regions in the capital, known as Central Business Districts, such as Faria Lima, Berrini, and Chucri Zaidan. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for real estate agents and professionals in the commercial property market to stay informed and understand the proposed changes in the city Master Plan, as they will influence the opportunities and challenges in the real estate sector in São Paulo.
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