Some of the studies about the Brazilian urban-regional structures affirm the existence of an “overflow polygon” around two of the greatest Brazilian urban agglomerations – The Metropolitan Region of São Paulo and of Rio de Janeiro, wherein the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte is one of the weak vertex of this polygon. Despite of the RMBH being located in a strategic area, within one of the national web transportation vertices and near great markets, its development capacity was strongly severed by the presence of the other two great metropolitan regions. Another aggravating factor is its poor and polarized small economic scale surroundings.

This thematic area aims for fostering actions, programs and intentions capable of replacing the RMBH as a local and different option, allowing the attraction of new investments. These interventions must aim at:

1 – Rethink the productive development of the RMBH in its different dimensions, beginning from its recent experience and future perspectives, in a way to transform it into one of the strong vertices of the polygon composed by São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro;

2 – Reduce the actual intra-metropolitan gaps and socio-economic fragmentation;

3 – Enhance the urban scale of the RMBH with a higher articulation with its surroundings, like the nominated Metropolitan Belt;

4 – Create new economic development, social and environmental niches, for the creation of new centralities;

5 – Attract and cement cleand and high technology industries (e.g. biotechnology, information and communication technology, nanotechnology, aerospace technology, creative and cultural industries, modern complex services, energetic technologies such as biomass and solid residues recycle, photovoltaic, and solar-thermic);

6 – Utilize renewable energy and materials that contribute to reduce negative climatic impacts. The great challenge posed is to strengthen the macro-regional centrality of the RMBH by making it one of the important vertices of Brazil’s metropolitan system composed by São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte.