How can we diversify the economy, reinforce identity, elevate self-esteem, and reintegrate into São Paulo’s economic fabric a region that once thrived as Brazil’s most prosperous, yet now contends with one of the state’s lowest Human Development Indices (HDIs)?
SEBRAE SP, the agency dedicated to fostering Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in São Paulo State, strategically selected a territory of exceptional complexity and environmental uniqueness, rich in architectural and historical heritage, to spearhead its revitalization through a creative foundation. Garimpo de Soluções embraced this ambitious challenge, assembling a multidisciplinary and highly skilled team. Under the leadership of Ana Carla Fonseca and Alejandro Castañé, the team, comprising Eduardo Callera (agronomy and renewable energies), Fabíula Domingues (architectural heritage and adaptive reuse), Mariana Aldrigui (tourism), and Wilber Rossini (governance), embarked on an immersive exploration of the territory, encompassing Arapeí, Areias, Bananal, Cachoeira Paulista, Cruzeiro, Lavrinhas, Queluz, São José do Barreiro, and Silveiras.
With the objective of establishing a thriving creative territory, leveraging the region’s distinctive assets and the inherent creativity of its people, the project entailed traversing over 10,000 kilometers, conducting more than 200 hours of interviews, facilitating nine collaborative workshops, and undertaking extensive intelligence analysis. The deliverables included a comprehensive regional and sectoral diagnosis (agrifood, crafts, culture, identity, and heritage, tourism), a novel strategic positioning – the ‘Valley of Stories’ – a territory brand co-created from the communities’ collective imagination, and a portfolio of 25 actionable initiatives. These initiatives spanned logistics, tourism, adaptive heritage reuse, a gaming hub, mobility, circular economy, and cultural festivals.
Project presented in December 2024.
