Presidente Prudente

Ecology and environment

thumb|left|Typical [[Cerrado vegetation during the dry season in Presidente Prudente, with the Ibis Hotel in the background|alt=Cerrado vegetation with Hotel Ibis|277x277px]]

The rural area of Presidente Prudente is characterized by pastures and sparse tree cover, with the soil covered year-round. The municipality exhibits significant diversity in land use, as older neighborhoods are densely populated with considerable tree cover along streets and in backyards. Newer neighborhoods, which form the majority, feature sparse constructions with lawns and scattered tree cover. Housing complexes are densely built. Land use in the city is not highly diversified, with residential use predominating over other uses such as industry, commerce, and services.

To implement a more robust environmental management system, the municipal government, through the Municipal Secretariat of the Environment, invests in cleaning public spaces, including the removal of shrubs, litter, and debris, as well as the eradication of leucaena and other non-native species, while creating green areas in the urban zone.

Several vacant lots within the urban perimeter are covered with native Cerrado vegetation and are maintained and protected by municipal environmental preservation agencies, such as the Municipal Secretariat of the Environment. Parts of neighborhoods such as Jardim Planalto, Brasil Novo, Jardim Paraíso, and Vale do Sol had their lots fenced with wire in 2010.

The Municipality of Presidente Prudente has adopted increasingly stringent and contradictory environmental and tax policies. Councilor Valmir da Souza Pinto proposed a bill stipulating that property owners who fail to adopt robust environmental management practices will pay higher property taxes (IPTU). The bill was voted on 17 March 2015 and reported on 31 March of the same year.

Demographics

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, in 2014, the population of the municipality was inhabitants, making it the 36th most populous in the state with a population density of 367.7 inhabitants per km². According to the 2000 census, 48.22% of the population were male (91,797 inhabitants) and 51.78% were female (97,389 inhabitants). Approximately 97.91% (185,229 inhabitants) resided in the urban area, while 2.09% (3,957 inhabitants) lived in the rural area.

The Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M) of Presidente Prudente is considered high by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In 2010, its value was 0.806, ranking it as the thirteenth highest in the state, ahead of the capital, São Paulo, which ranks fourteenth. The city has most indicators above the national average, according to the UNDP. The per capita income is 14,652.00 reais. The Gini coefficient, which measures social inequality, is 0.46, where 1.00 is the worst and 0.00 is the best. In 2000, the population of Presidente Prudente consisted of 135,104 Whites (71.41%), 7,045 Blacks (3.72%), 39,965 Pardos (21.12%), 194 Indigenous (0.10%), 5,777 Asians (3.05%), and 1,100 undeclared (0.58%).

Religion

thumb|Tower of São Sebastião Cathedral, seat of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Presidente Prudente|Diocese of Presidente Prudente, suffragan to the Archdiocese of Botucatu]]

Reflecting the cultural diversity of Presidente Prudente, the city is home to a variety of religious expressions. Although it developed within a predominantly Catholic social framework, numerous Protestant denominations are now present. The growth of evangelicals has been notable, reaching nearly 17.83% of the population. despite Brazil being an officially secular state. The city is home to various Protestant or reformed denominations, such as the Assembly of God. According to the 2010 census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the population of Presidente Prudente comprises: Roman Catholics (64.31%), Evangelicals (26.69%), no religion (4.24%), Spiritism (1.11%), Jehovah's Witnesses (0.68%), Buddhism (0.41%), Mormons (0.19%), Brazilian Apostolic Catholics (0.10%), Umbanda and Candomblé (0.08%), Orthodox Catholics (0.04%), Agnostics (0.04%), and Esoterics (0.03%).

Politics

left|thumb|Presidente Prudente City Hall

The executive power of the municipality of Presidente Prudente is represented by the mayor, assisted by their cabinet of secretaries. The current mayor, elected in the 2024 municipal elections, is Milton Carlos de Mello, popularly known as Tupã, elected by the Republicans party with 52.81% of the valid votes.

The legislative power is exercised by the municipal chamber, composed of thirteen councilors elected for four-year terms. In the current legislature, which began in 2025, the chamber consists of three seats for the Republicans, three for the Progressistas (PP), two for Brazil Union and the Social Democratic Party, and one seat each for the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), Podemos (PODE), and the Liberal Party (PL). The chamber is responsible for drafting and voting on laws fundamental to the administration and the executive, particularly the participatory budget (Budget Guidelines Law). and serves as the seat of a comarca, classified as fourth grade. According to the Superior Electoral Court, in November 2019, the municipality had 176,219 registered voters, representing 0.530% of the total voters in the state of São Paulo.

Administrative divisions

Presidente Prudente is officially divided into five districts: Ameliópolis, Eneida, Floresta do Sul, and Montalvão, in addition to the seat district. When the city was emancipated, it consisted solely of the seat district, established by State Law No. on November 28, 1921, and implemented on March 13, 1923. The Judicial District, classified as fourth grade, was created by Law No. on December 8, 1922.

The city is also subdivided into approximately 220 neighborhoods, with the largest and most populous, according to the city hall, being Ana Jacinta. The poorest region of the municipality comprises the neighborhoods Jardim Santa Mônica and Vila Furquim, where many families live in precarious conditions. The eastern part of the city also includes areas marked by a social exclusion map. In these areas, the levels of exclusion and social vulnerability are stark, with visible manifestations of social issues, where entire families rely on the solidarity and charity of others, as many residents' rights are often disregarded or entirely absent from the community.

Economy

The gross domestic product (GDP) of Presidente Prudente ranks as the 128th largest in Brazil, The per capita GDP is R$.

In 2022, the city exported US$141 million in products and imported US$16.6 million, resulting in a trade surplus of US$124.7 million.

Primary sector

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; float:right; margin:1em; border-collapse:border; text-align:center;"

! colspan="3" class= style="background:#b8860b; text-align:right; font-size:larger; color:indigo;"|Production of sugarcane,<br />sweet potato, and cassava (2007)

| bgcolor=#f5f5f5 | Product

| bgcolor=#f5f5f5 | Harvested area (hectares)

| bgcolor=#f5f5f5 | Production (tons)

|Sugarcane

| 10,000

| 200,000

|Sweet potato

| 800

| 9,600

|Cassava

| 50

| 1,250

Agriculture is the least significant sector of Presidente Prudente's economy. Of the municipality's total GDP, R$23,232,000 represents the gross value added by agriculture. In temporary crops, the main products are sugarcane (200,000 tons), sweet potato (9,600 tons), and cassava (1,250 tons).

Secondary sector

The industrial sector is currently the second most significant contributor to Presidente Prudente's economy. R$ of the municipal GDP comes from the gross value added by industry (secondary sector).

The NIPP I (Antônio Crepaldi Presidente Prudente Industrial Nucleus) spans approximately 20 alqueires and houses 41 industries from various sectors. These include factories that produce fire extinguishers; furniture, mortar, and beverage production; metal structures; cleaning products; agricultural products; electrical goods; and industrial equipment. The NIPP II (Presidente Prudente Industrial Nucleus) covers 18 alqueires but is still in the implementation phase. The NIPP III (Belmiro Maganini Non-Polluting Industrial Nucleus) occupies about four alqueires and hosts 60 industries in sectors such as electronics, road equipment, industrial kitchens, clothing, hospital equipment, metal frames, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, footwear, soft drinks, sawmills, and furniture. The NIPP IV (Antônio Onofre Gerbasi Non-Polluting Industrial District), covering approximately three alqueires, is home to 52 industries, including precast concrete, batteries, seed production, slabs, mortar, stone cutting, marble and granite processing, wood, and furniture manufacturing.

Tertiary sector

thumb|Bank branch on Prudente's downtown pedestrian street

thumb|View of Prudenshopping, the largest shopping center in Presidente Prudente and the region

R$ million of the municipal GDP comes from service provision.

Infrastructure

In 2000, the city had households, including apartments, houses, and rooms. Of these, 39,445 were owned properties, with fully paid (58.13%), 7,369 under acquisition (13.75%), and 10,445 rented (18.93%). A total of 5,187 properties were provided, with 810 supplied by employers (1.47%) and 4,377 provided in other ways (7.93%). Another 101 were occupied in other forms (0.18%). The municipality has treated water, electricity, sewage systems, urban cleaning, fixed telephony, and mobile telephony. In 2000, 96.84% of households were served by the general water supply network; 97.29% of households had garbage collection; and 95.01% of residences had sanitary sewage systems.

Healthcare

thumb|left|Esperança Regional Hospital of Presidente Prudente, formerly known as Cancer Hospital

In 2005, the municipality had 91 healthcare facilities, with 58 private and 33 public establishments, including hospitals, emergency rooms, health centers, and dental services. These facilities provided 1,294 hospital beds, with 71 public and 1,223 private. The city has eight general hospitals, six public, one private, and one philanthropic. Presidente Prudente also has 1,425 nursing assistants, 408 general practitioners, 236 pediatricians, 221 gynecologist-obstetricians, 218 nurses, and 1,063 professionals in other categories, totaling 3,571 healthcare workers. In 2008, 2,667 live births were recorded, with 8.4% premature, 77.1% delivered by caesarean section, and 13.4% born to mothers aged 10 to 19 (0.3% aged 10 to 14). The crude birth rate is 12.9.

The former University Hospital (now Regional Hospital - HR) was purchased in 2010 for R$78 million by the São Paulo State Government, which invested millions in renovations. The HR serves as a reference for 45 municipalities in Western São Paulo and currently has 550 beds, all under the Unified Health System (SUS), including 56 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, with 20 for adults, 10 for coronary care, 6 for pediatrics, and 20 for neonates. It offers medical residency programs in Cardiology, General Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Dermatology, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Infectious Diseases, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Otorhinolaryngology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Urology, ICU, Pediatric ICU, and Neonatology.

Education

thumb|Faculty of Science and Technology, [[São Paulo State University|UNESP Presidente Prudente campus]]

thumb|Block III of UNOESTE Campus II

The Municipal Education Secretariat of Presidente Prudente (Seduc), legally established by Law No. 2296/83 on December 21, 1983, provides training courses for teachers in the municipal network, promotes literacy projects, and facilitates the use of municipal school buildings outside class hours and during vacation periods for cultural and recreational activities. The Secretariat also coordinates with federal and state agencies to establish general education and teaching programs.

Presidente Prudente has schools in all regions of the municipality. Due to extensive urbanization, the few residents in rural areas have easy access to schools in nearby urban neighborhoods. Education in state schools is of a lower standard than in municipal schools, but the city hall is conducting studies to improve public state education to achieve better results in the IDEB (Basic Education Development Index). In 2008, the municipality had approximately 40,639 enrollments, 2,673 teachers, and 193 schools in public and private networks.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em; border-collapse:collapse; text-align:center;"

! colspan=4 |Education in Presidente Prudente in numbers

! Level

! Enrollments

! Teachers

! Schools (total)

! Early childhood education

| align="right"| 3,854

| 221

| 65

! Primary education

| align="right"|

| 1,417

| 87

! Secondary education

| align="right"| 9,105

| 735

</div>

Science and technology

Presidente Prudente is considered one of the most innovative cities in the state of São Paulo. In 2016, a law was enacted to promote and support technological innovation, scientific and technological research, and technological development, aiming to bridge the gap between the municipal government and higher education institutions while facilitating investments in startups, research, and development. The law established the Municipal Innovation Fund to provide financial resources for the projects of researchers and entrepreneurs, the Innovation Assistance Grant for individuals developing projects (startups), the Innovation Award to recognize successful initiatives and projects, the Municipal Council for Science, Technology, and Innovation, and the Municipal Innovation Seal for companies contributing to the municipality’s development in this area. The city was the first in Brazil to enact a Municipal Innovation Law.

In 2017, the Inova Prudente Foundation, officially the Vicente Furlanetto Foundation for Education, Research, and Innovation of Presidente Prudente (FUNDEPI), was inaugurated. This physical space, equipped with infrastructure and services, aims to integrate startups, entrepreneurs, researchers, and the community, while fostering the development of entrepreneurs and small businesses, applied research for improving or creating new products or processes, and driving innovation. The facility underwent renovations, and in 2018, Brazil’s first Municipal Technology and Innovation Coworking Space was opened. The space accommodates 120 “coworkers,” 200 researchers, and 40 companies.

In early 2019, the municipal government launched the InovaTec Program, which grants exemptions from municipal fees and taxes and a 60% reduction in the calculation base for the Service Tax (ISS) owed by these companies. In practice, they pay only 2% ISS on monthly revenue, the lowest rate allowed by federal legislation. The Inova Prudente Foundation was recognized as a success case at the GovTech Conference, an event organized by StartSe held in April 2019 in São Paulo.

The municipality is also home to the Presidente Prudente Technological Incubator (INTEPP), established in 2004. Its goal is to support the creation, development, and consolidation of technology-based companies, providing physical infrastructure and services to establish new businesses, attract investments, and capture market share, generating income and jobs.

Crime and public safety

thumb|left|Coat of arms of the [[Military Police of São Paulo State|PMSP]]

As in most medium and large Brazilian municipalities, crime is also a challenge in Presidente Prudente, although it has the lowest crime rates in São Paulo state. In 2006, the homicide rate in the municipality was 12 per 100,000 inhabitants. The rate of deaths by firearms, which was 11.8 in 2002, rose to 16.3 in 2003, then stood at 11.7 and 14.6 in 2004 and 2005, respectively, before dropping to 6.0 in 2006. The rate of deaths from traffic accidents, which was 22.7 in 2002, increased to 30.9 in 2006.

The decline in homicides related to urban violence is attributed to measures implemented by the São Paulo State Military Police (PMSP), such as the Digital Incident Report (RDO), adopted in 46 other municipalities in São Paulo state. The RDO standardizes incident reports (BOs) filed at police stations via intranet, stores them in databases, and allows access by other police agencies. According to the municipal government, the Ministry of Cities invests little in security in Presidente Prudente.

The Presidente Prudente region has the highest concentration of prisons in Brazil, with a prison population of 18,318 inmates across 21 facilities, which have a capacity of only 13,757, meaning the prison population exceeds capacity by 33.15%. The establishment of prisons in the interior allowed the state government to address two issues with a single measure: relocating inmates away from large urban centers and meeting demands for new job opportunities in these municipalities. The prisons created an estimated 18,000 jobs for prison facilities, supported by R$230 million in investments.

Services and communications

thumb|Branch of the [[Correios|Brazilian Post and Telegraph Corporation in the municipality]]

The water supply service in Presidente Prudente is managed by the São Paulo State Basic Sanitation Company (Sabesp). The municipality gets 70% of its water from the Rio do Peixe, while the remaining 30% is sourced from the Santo Anastácio River and small underground reservoirs and springs. One hundred percent of the urban area is served by the electricity distribution network, with 112,454 megawatt-hours consumed annually in 2001 and approximately 180,000 consumers. until 1973, when it began to be served by Telecomunicações de São Paulo (TELESP), which built the telephone exchanges still in use today. In 1998, this company was privatized and sold to Telefônica, and in 2012, the company adopted the Vivo brand for its operations. Mobile telephony services are provided by various operators. There is also 3G access, available in the municipality since 2009, and 4G access, available since 2013. The area code (DDD) for Presidente Prudente is 018, and the Postal Code (CEP) ranges from 19,000-000 to 19,109-999. On January 8, 2009, the municipality began to be served by portability, along with other cities with DDD 018 and states including Rio Grande do Sul (DDDs 51 and 55), Tocantins (63), Mato Grosso (65), and Amazonas (92 and 97).

There are twelve channels in the VHF band - channels 2 to 13 - and 69 in the UHF band - channels 14 to 83. There are also microwave (SHF) and satellite channels, which offer significantly better frequency and require special receivers. These receivers typically deliver the signal to the television on a VHF channel. There is also a daily newspaper in Presidente Prudente, "O Imparcial." The city previously had "Oeste Notícias," which was closed by its management on January 31. The city has several online portals, the most accessed of which are Portal G1 - Presidente Prudente, Diário de Prudente, and Portal Prudentino. There are also nine radio stations in the city, with the main ones being "101 FM" and "98 FM."

Transportation

thumb|Raposo Tavares Highway ([[Rodovia Raposo Tavares|SP-270), near Presidente Prudente]]

thumb|View of the old Presidente Prudente railway station

The municipality is served by the Tietê-Paraná Waterway, which facilitates the transport of goods to Mercosur countries. Presidente Prudente is also served by Ferroban (Bandeirantes Railway S.A.) within its territory, on a section formerly belonging to the now-defunct Sorocabana Railway. However, since 1999, there has been no passenger rail transport, only freight transport. The municipality has easy access to SP-270 (Raposo Tavares Highway), connecting São Paulo to Presidente Prudente and Presidente Epitácio to Mato Grosso do Sul; SP-501 (Júlio Budisk Highway), linking Presidente Prudente to SP-294 - Comandante João Ribeiro de Barros (Alta Paulista - Osvaldo Cruz, Dracena, Adamantina); and SP-425 (Assis Chateaubriand Highway), connecting Presidente Prudente to Santo Inácio (PR) and subsequently to São José do Rio Preto and the border with Minas Gerais. Additionally, it has access to regionally and nationally significant highways via paved, dual-lane secondary roads. The city is also served by the Dr. Adhemar de Barros Airport , with a capacity for 178,926 passengers, making it the third largest in São Paulo state.

The municipal vehicle fleet in 2009 totaled 103,460 vehicles, including 65,001 cars, 3,327 trucks, 576 tractor-trucks, 7,685 pickups, 272 minibuses, 22,169 motorcycles, 3,650 mopeds, 743 buses, and 37 wheeled tractors. The city’s duplicated and paved avenues and numerous traffic lights facilitate traffic flow, but the increase in the number of vehicles over the past decade has led to increasingly slow traffic, particularly in the seat district. Additionally, finding parking spaces in the commercial center has become challenging, causing some losses to commerce, partly due to merchants and their employees occupying the limited available spaces.

Previously, public transportation in Presidente Prudente was provided by two companies: Transporte Coletivo Presidente Prudente (TCPP) and Pruden Express. Currently, following a bidding process, only one company, Prudente Urbano, provides the service. The Municipal Secretariat for Traffic Affairs (SEMAV) is the municipal body responsible for the city’s traffic and transportation systems. It regulates and oversees the public transportation system and manages municipal traffic. It comprises departments for Planning, Traffic, Transportation, and Public Safety Cooperation.

Culture and leisure

Tourism, arts, and events

left|thumb|Matarazzo Cultural Center, one of the city’s main [[leisure venues]]

left|thumb|[[Water park at Cidade da Criança, an important recreational space]]

The city has twenty hotels, four movie theaters (820 seats), two theaters (555 seats), seven amphitheaters, five libraries, and two spaces for aeromodeling. and the Quarto de Milha Ranch Covered Arena (the largest covered arena in Latin America).

Events such as the National Theater Festival (FENTEPP), the Nikkei Fest, the Presidente Prudente Literary Festival (FLITPP), the Festival of Nations and the Expo-Prudente, contribute to the city’s role as a cultural hub in the region. For leisure, the city offers the Matarazzo Cultural Center, a complex that includes the Dr. Abelardo de Cerqueira César Municipal Library, Profª Jupyra Cunha Marcondes Municipal Art School, Municipal Art School, Paulo Roberto Lisboa Theater, Sebastião Jorge Chammé Auditorium, Condessa Filomena Matarazzo Cinema, Os Sombras e Os Temperamentais Boulevard, Presidente Prudente Seresteiros Square Boulevard, Francisco Artoni Coreto Square, Bandstand, Multipurpose Rooms for workshops and rehearsals, Galleries, and an Atelier.

The city also features the Parque do Povo, Cidade da Criança (a 70-hectare green area with infrastructure, including attractions such as a cable car, ecological trail, zoo, playground, kart track, planetarium, astronomical observatory, water park, fishermen’s association, Free Environmental School, and two lakes), the Nelson Bugalho Ecological Park, the Procópio Ferreira Municipal Theater and the SESC Thermas.

Sports

thumb|Match between [[Sport Club Corinthians Paulista|Corinthians and Palmeiras at the Prudentão, during the 2009 Campeonato Paulista]]

Following the era of Prudentina in the 1960s, the dissolution of the fully professional Corinthians de Prudente in 2001, and the brief stint of Grêmio Prudente Futebol in 2010 when it adopted the city’s name, Presidente Prudente is now home to Grêmio Desportivo Prudente and has a stadium, the Eduardo José Farah Municipal Stadium, known as Prudentão, inaugurated on October 12, 1982, with a current capacity of up to 44,414 people. The first match played there was between Santos Futebol Clube and the now-defunct Esporte Clube Corinthians, attended by approximately 20,240 spectators, with Santos winning 1-0. The record attendance was for a match between Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras and Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, with 45,972 spectators on March 3, 1996, resulting in a 3-1 victory for Palmeiras. In lower divisions, notable teams include Oeste Paulista Esporte Clube and Presidente Prudente Futebol Clube.

On December 23, 2010, the Flávio Araújo Athlete Training Center was inaugurated, named in honor of the local sports journalist who had a distinguished career in national radio. The center is a reference in sports, offering medical care and physical training facilities, a covered court, and a football field used as a training center for Grêmio Prudente.

thumb|[[Beach volleyball court in Presidente Prudente, in the Jardim Alto da Boa Vista]]

In other sports, the city is also seeing significant investments in expanding sports facilities, such as the PUM (Multi-Use Park), which includes five covered courts, a health club, and locker rooms for athletes. The Olympic Center has received investments in Olympic disciplines, such as the athletics track and swimming and water polo pools. The People’s Park courts have also been covered, and its two football fields have been upgraded with synthetic turf. The Caetano Peretti Municipal Stadium has accommodations for amateur athletes and a renovated field, with plans for a possible additional athletics track. The city also has twelve gateball stadiums, seven sports halls, and four baseball stadiums.

Notable people

Camilo Sanvezzo, footballer
Antônio Carlos Zago, footballer
Pablo (Pablo Freitas Cardoso Mello)
Thaila Ayala, actress and model
Mauro Vinícius da Silva, triple jumper, 2-time World Champion
Matheus Martinelli, footballer

References

External links

UNESP University (in Portuguese).
Satellite photo of Presidente Prudente. Google Maps.
Unoeste University (in Portuguese).