The ‘Northern Vector’, the whole stretch of land north of the city center towards and beyond the international airport in Confins, has for long been advanced by official planning authorities as the area for the future city expansion.

The extension towards the north and the slow incorporation of neighboring towns started already with the Pampulha (sport and recreation) complex designed by Oscar Niemeyer in the 1940’s. With the inauguration of the ‘Cidade Administrativa’ in 2010 a decisive step towards emphasizing the cities’ growth in this direction was undertaken. The international airport in Confins is also viewed as an important element in the configuration of the ‘Northern Vector’. It is the biggest airport in Belo Horizonte and it is being extended in order to handle even more traffic and cargo (only recently it became an international airport). These two entities are the biggest inserted artifacts along the northern stretch otherwise composed by smaller towns and cities, which have clustered around the old stretch of the railway and the mining in the area. Many of these settlements are very poor and with an insufficient infrastructure. The natural geology and habitat is that of the Cerrado, with caustic rocks and poor soil qualities but with rich and sensitive natural bush, grass and forest ecosystems. In addition the area is rich in historical remains from earlier civilizations. This precarious setting is now the scene for urban change where industrial concentrations as well as vast condominias are planned and built. This work has maped the different actions and actors behind the transformations of the territory. It is also order to assest the probabilty of the immense size of the expected growth and development.