Uses and liminalities of urban spaces of contemporary leisure

the case of Praia do Futuro

Abstract

This work analyses the redefinitions of uses of Praia do Futuro in charge of the new spaces of seaside entertainment located in the beach stretch of east coastline of the city of Fortaleza. On the one hand, it is argued that, similar to other formats of urban spaces that proliferate in contemporary society, the beach huts accentuate aspects of liminality between public and private experiences associated to leisure. On the other hand, more than just places of hedonism, enjoyment or ‘escape from everyday life’ (URRY, 2001) the tents can be seen as a stage where the consumption of certain symbolic possessions expresses conflicts of uses around the socio-spatial ordering. Two of these complexes tents exemplify very well the times when the Beach is more redefined ; Biruta tent in the days of shows and events and Crocobeach complex during ‘Sunday on the beach’. Besides being the most sought, it is about them, the complexes of tents that fall the great part of symbolic disputes about the redefinition of the beach as a public property.