Consumption and Urban Emotions in a Changing Climate

As urban consumption practices are more and more driven by the experience economy, understanding the role that emotions play in such practices is fundamental. A careful analysis of emotions allows us to understand the plurality and singularity of spatial phenomena, recognizing them as inherent to social practices, enabling a sensitive geography that privileges the subjectivities present in spatial experiences. Intersubjective relationships are measured by emotions, which construct specific spatialities and, therefore, also specific social contexts. Thus, emotions make it possible to qualify spaces in different ways, allowing us to analyze the singularities that are built in the interrelationship between subjects and their everyday spaces. This understanding perceives emotions as indispensable when reading about how we feel and think about the transformations in everyday life, which therefore includes the spatial issue. For these reasons, scholars are increasingly attentive to the emotional dimension of consumption experiences, although research on this topic has been mostly focused on the Global North. In this chapter, we discuss the significance of emotions in the city and consumption, and we draw upon a case study in Cuiabá (Brazil) to underline the need to diversify research on this topic. The city of Cuiabá, the capital of the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, situated at the geodesic centre of South America, stands out as one of the hottest capitals in the country. The urban environment is strongly impacted by a combination of climatic-geographic factors and environmental-social influences that affect the experience of using and consuming in/from the city. This is perceived through patterns of behaviour and consumption related to leisure, entertainment, and experiences that promote sensations of relief from thermal discomfort, increased contact with nature, and prospects for promoting health and quality of life. The spatial analysis of locations and developments in the city of Cuiabá confirms a pronounced growth of private collective consumption spaces catering to diverse income groups, such as multipurpose parks, clubs, resorts, sports fields, and arenas, among other spaces, connected to social life and the needs of Cuiabá's population and consumers in the region.