Resumo

GIMENEZ MERCADO, Claudia; RIVAS GOMEZ, Mariela  e  RODRIGUEZ VASQUEZ, Juan Carlos. Habilitación física de barrios en Venezuela análisis desde el enfoque de capacidades y crítica a la racionalidad instrumental. CDC [online]. 2008, vol.25, n.69, pp.69-88. ISSN 1012-2508.

Critical and constructive analysis of the most important public intervention in the shanty towns of Venezuela, the Program of Physical Qualification of Shanty Towns, partially carried out in 1999-2005. This open reflection is based on Amartya Sen´s Human Development or Capabilities Approach, which privileges the total achievement of human beings capacities from a view of development as freedom. Strengths and weaknesses of the Program are identified and some recommendations are made for future initiatives of development in the shanty towns of the country. The central thesis is that, its significant worth notwithstanding, the Program of Physical Qualification of Shanty Towns does not represent a real paradigm shift in urban development, for its content and scope reflect the «project approach» characterized by the rationalism.

Palavras-chave : Shanty town; Capabilities; Rationality; Project.