The elderly body, memories and narratives from the center of João Pessoa

Abstract

The city center of João Pessoa, in addition to its historical importance as a place of memory and its patrimonial and architectural value, is also a place of different experiences in social life, where we find characters that activate the everyday urban scene and stands out as subversive figures during difficult times. In this article, we aimed to identify a specific group of people - the elderly - who use the city centre and make the streets, sidewalks and squares places where they can see and be seen. The methodological strategies used were field observation and semi-structured interview, which are important tools in the field of architecture and urbanism, complemented by photography. Thus, we consider that this study rethinks issues such as the recent renovation policy of the central areas in the city and its use / renewal by the elderly. We seek to contribute to researches that show the population’s perception of the city, especially regarding the memories and stories of the elders. In this way, it was possible to investigate changes and continuities related to the center space, discover elements of the history and culture of the area, such as parties, work and leisure social relations, transportation, security, and see the relationship between the elderly and the location studied as a way to deviate the problem of urban action impoverishment.