Around 1937 Campo Limpo began its journey. It grew from the Fazenda Pombinhos belonging to the Reis Soares family. Many Japanese Italian and Portuguese families settled there. The low cost of land attracted them. By 1950 Campo Limpo was a mix of farms small houses and pottery kilns.
Life in Campo Limpo was simple. There were a few small shops a pharmacy a barbershop and a simple wooden schoolhouse. A Catholic monastery stood as a quiet center of faith. The Jockey Club of Sao Paulo used the area for training horses. This might explain the district’s name Campo Limpo meaning clean field.
Electricity arrived in 1958. The first bus route started running in 1963. Streets began to get paved in 1968. Campo Limpo’s development accelerated. The area attracted immigrants mostly from poorer backgrounds. Many came from Sao Paulo’s interior and from Brazil’s Northeast and South regions.
Industrial growth boomed in the 1960s and 70s. Companies such as Poliquima a chemical company and Metafil a metalworks company were established. Later the Akzo Nobel company took over Poliquima. Sharp an electronics multinational also operated in Campo Limpo. Eventually these industrial giants moved. Their sites now house new developments such as Anhanguera University formerly Uniban.
Campo Limpo faced challenges. Rapid growth meant unplanned expansion. Flooding was a recurring problem along the Pirajuçara stream. The area experienced contrasting social realities. People of low income lived near large middle and upper class developments.
The government invested in improvements. The Metro’s Line 5 reached Campo Limpo. The construction of the Rodoanel highway helped traffic flow. Several public swimming pools were built. The Campo Limpo bus terminal opened in 2009. CEUs or Unified Educational Centers offered community services and educational programs. A SESC center provided more recreational opportunities.
Today Campo Limpo is a blend of old and new. It boasts a Shopping Campo Limpo a hospital and several educational institutions. The area also shows signs of its past. It has undergone immense change. Campo Limpo shows its progress yet retains echoes of its humble origins. It remains a dynamic district a testament to Sao Paulo’s evolving landscape.