Hostile city

Abstract

The daily exposition to fear and violence as well as the quest for privacy have meaningfully contributed to human segregation process. In Brazil, individual solutions to collective problems have been fostered. According to scientific literature, it is possible to acknowledge that urban space desertification is a key factor that contributes to the perception of insecurity making urban space lose attractiveness. Urban vitality is affected since people attract other people. It is seen that when architecture presents limited forms, either visual, physical or social it is perceived as hostile. This work aims to discuss the ways hostile architecture has been established as an active element in perception of feedback regarding urban insecurity, as it limits and conditions the experience of urban space between equals and produces “Outliers”, arid, impermeable spaces, disproportionate to human scale. The research considered the Espinheiro neighborhood, in Recife-Brazil. This area is considered the most verticalized  in the city, modifying housing patterns and the way of living. It is perceived that that the architecture promoted by the real estate market does not work towards establishing relationships that welcome individuals. Barriers in the urban space are built daily. People have been seeking individualistic protection over the last decades, which reflects a loss of urbanity, that is, the inherent characteristics of architecture lead to a homogenized, privatized urbanization.