SUBUTILIZAÇÃO DOS EDIFÍCIOS NO CENTRO DE GOIÂNIA E A PERCA DA MEMÓRIA URBANA EM RISCO.

Abstract

The underutilization of buildings located in Downtown Goiânia represents one of the main challenges to the preservation of urban memory and the city's cultural identity. Despite the historical and architectural significance of its Art Deco and Modernist heritage, many buildings remain vacant, abandoned, or occupied by uses that are incompatible with their patrimonial value. This process reveals not only the physical deterioration of these structures but also the weakening of the social, symbolic, and emotional connections that link the population to urban space. This critical essay discusses how real estate underutilization contributes to the degradation of the historic urban landscape and the gradual erasure of collective memory, reflecting on the consequences of the absence of effective policies for the rehabilitation and reoccupation of the city center. It argues that heritage preservation goes beyond the material conservation of buildings, requiring the maintenance of their social function and their capacity to generate meaning for the community. Therefore, the reoccupation of underutilized properties emerges as a fundamental strategy for strengthening urban vitality, preserving cultural identity, and ensuring the continuity of Goiânia’s historical memory.