URBAN PLANNING AND TERRITORIAL INEQUALITY: A STUDY ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF MASTER PLANS IN THE 12 DEVELOPMENT TERRITORIES OF THE STATE OF PIAUÍ

This paper analyzes the relationship between urban planning and territorial inequality in Piauí, focusing on the distribution of Master Plans in the twelve Development Territories. It starts from the problem of the absence or concentration of these instruments in certain municipalities, a situation that deepens regional disparities and compromises the effectiveness of the City Statute. The main objective is to understand to what extent the presence or absence of Master Plans influences socioeconomic development and reinforces historical inequalities. The relevance of the study lies in showing how unequal distribution compromises the democratization of the territory and the reduction of regional asymmetries, offering subsidies for the strengthening of public policies. Methodologically, this is an exploratory research, with a quantitative and qualitative approach, based on bibliographic review, documentary analysis and data collection, correlating the existence of the plans with indicators such as MHDI and municipal GDP. The results show that the plans are concentrated in municipalities of greater economic and institutional size, such as Teresina, Parnaíba and Picos, while smaller cities legally obliged to have them remain without the instrument. It is concluded that this inequality contributes to the dependence of peripheral municipalities in relation to regional poles, perpetuating disparities and limiting development opportunities.