| The primary analytical focus of this dissertation is to assess municipal (district) human development by using spatial analysis and spatial econometric techniques with the intent of guiding decision-making processes. The Human Development Index (HDI) from the United Nations Development Program is the main focus of this study, which relies on geographic information systems (GIS) technology to incorporate the spatial dimension in the HDI, and to provide the data platform for analyses. Methods of Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis and Confirmatory Spatial Data Analysis are used to accomplish the research objectives.; The results of this dissertation suggest that the geographic environment plays an important role in the understanding of the relationship between human development and public intervention. In the case of Brazil, public sector involvement in enlarging people's social choices must explicitly consider relative location if the goal is to create equitable access to opportunities through strategic investment in education, health, and skills of the people. This enhanced, spatial perspective will enable a greater number of the population to participate in the growth process as well as to share its benefits, and further expand people's capabilities. From the regional inequality perspective, that characterizes Brazil, Southeast municipalities have a comparative advantage because of their higher level of development; as a consequence, these municipalities have a stronger capacity to manage social issues. In contrast, Northeast municipalities, because of their lower level of development, do not have such a strong capacity. From the intra-urban perspective, similar, diverse spatial dynamics can be observed in the districts of Sao Paulo municipality.; This dissertation draws three main conclusions concerning the relationship between human development and public intervention. First, the tendency to allow an uncontrolled decentralization process, common in many developing countries, may need to be replaced with some coordination mechanisms. Second, if there is a willingness to implement 'pro-equality' policies, social policies should be spatially focused, instead of being applied universally across all municipalities. Third, a few spatial strategies are proposed as alternatives to implement 'pro-equality' policies. These strategies are based on the existence of spatial diffusion processes that take place in the study areas. |
