Having the above context in mind I would like to explain this work's articulation.[...]

The first macro theme touches concepts of development guided by the sustainable inclusive, democratic, respectful, dignifying - city idea, but in order to address properly such argument I think it is necessary to identify what the current challenges cities are facing. These current challenges did not appear from night to day, so one step is taken back to be able to afterwards take two ahead: the process of urbanization, in the optic of differenciating what has happened in the territories of developed and in developing countries is also analyzed.[...]

The second theme develops around the organization of space in urban networks and especially zooms in the Brazilian case. The first part of this chapter is dedicated to the collection of concepts and studies of - firstly - the single urban space. This part of the work evolves diminishing its scale, therefore it is directed to the view of one single entity, then understanding its organization and functioning as a (urban) system and, only after these considerations, how these systems are understood the context of its multiple and combined linkages, thus urban networks.[...]

The case study of Brazil's Federal District is the main theme of the third part of this work and I would like first to justify the choice of this area, as follow, and then explain how this part is articulated.

Since have worries have been drawn towards sustainable growth of cities in the developing world, the object of analysis of this work is in Brazil, a country known by its fast urbanization, big urban agglomerations and social disparity despite today's economic rise. The case study does not limit itself in a national framework, but goes further deep to understand the dynamics behind Brazil's Federal District (DF), acknowledged by the construction of a new capital in the sixties, has then dealt with cities that were not initially planned. Born as provisory campsites for construction workers, slowly they were accepted. Nowadays they are responsible for almost 90% of the population in the DF.

These new cities, once called satellite-cities, are now having their economical importance recognized for the functioning of Brasilia and the whole Federal District. They are very diverse, ones having a very developed and urbanized center, services and industries whereas others are basically dormitory cities with litde local commerce and not only but also economically dependent on other cities. Therefore indicating new urban centralities and hierarchies in the functioning of this network.

The year of 2010 will be grandly marked by the 50th Anniversary of Brasilia commemoration and, in addition to that, the Federal District Government (GDF) has launched a "Basic Plan for Urban Development in the Federal District" (Projeto Bàsico de Desenvolvimento Urbano DF). The Plan's main goal is to guide organized urban growth within a regional structure that articulates cities and urban areas among themselves. Projects and actions are to (a) support and complement local urban planning, (b) provide subsidy for improving and adjusting the DF's Territorial Ordination Plan, PDOT - Piano Diretor de Ordenamento Territorial do Distrito Federal - and (c) establish immediate administration actions.

Knowing this, the goal of this work is to understand DF's city network dynamics, its various readings and analyze its urban development instruments. Mainly this third part is divided in identifying the networks, the formation of its territory whys and abouts, urban planning instruments and workings and how these last elements influence the territory dynamics. Then, DF is explored together with some of its sorrounding, as a whole, to understand the recognition of its external influences. The last part of the chapter is dedicated to understanding the last PDOT (approved in 2009) in the optic of collaborating in a network.[...]