Abstract The urban expansion in Itajubá-MG occurred in areas where the Forest Code currently purpose to protect, called consolidated urban areas of occupation. However, the failure of specific data in the region makes it difficult for managers to make a decision. In this context, this work objectives to diagnose in surrounding the Sapucaí River, with a view to the sustainable management of land use and occupation. The case study deals with the legal framework for the “Áreas de Preservação Permanente” (APP) from the Federal to the Municipal scope, as well as the directives of the Master Plan. The mapping the surround areas to the River was realized, with the support of the Geographic Information System (GIS), by visual interpretation of georeferenced satellite images. The mapping made it possible to classify these areas in terms of use and occupation, as well as the concern to increase and maintain areas reforested in the last ten years by the municipal administration, besides to verify the existence of already densely populated sites that could receive revitalization and mobility projects to improve the quality of life of the population.