Urban Zoning and Access to Opportunities: The Case of Special Zones of Social Interest (ZEIS) in the City of Recife

Abstract

Special Zones of Social Interest (ZEIS) were established in Recife in 1983 as an urban zoning instrument aimed at land tenure regularization and expanding access to services in low-income areas. This article analyzes the extent to which improved access to employment and to education and health services is associated with location within ZEIS in the city. Data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) Demographic Censuses, the Recife Municipal Government, Pereira et al. (2022), and an identification strategy using an instrumental variable based on nineteenth-century intermunicipal railway tracks are employed. The results indicate that areas with better access to jobs (distinguished by levels of complexity) and to health and education services (by levels of provision) are more likely to be designated as ZEIS. The findings reinforce the idea that access to urban opportunities is a relevant factor in the location of these zones.