The fear that imprisons. A focus on the city of São Paulo.

In contemporary times, our perception is strongly influenced by mass-media transposition of facts and, in many cases, our reactions are supported by the emotional state of fear, which direct our behaviour in the space of the city. The consequence is that our life become the mirror of our treats, and we lost the vision on the compete complexity of the reality we live. Our societies become ever more fragmented in gated reality and our defence, around our home or particular types of spaces, respond promptly to this desperate needs of safety. It is practically certain ask how does fear and security demand change cities and modify our behaviours and relationship with places? Moreover, how can we project safe but liveable seats? To answer these questions, in this work, I take a closer look on various themes, divided into three main parts: - The first, which want to determine a definition of public space to understand which spaces are the object of research and. in favour of a private and individualistic perspective, if we are effectively witnessing a restriction of these dimension. Nowadays is very difficult to find a univocal view on this aspect, because the issue inevitably intertwines with an increased demand for urban security by communities, which changes its timeworn characteristics. - The second part deepens this aspect and put a focus on a particular feeling we frequently perceive, and which most influences the willingness to make our city safer and secure. The fear. There is an important link between fear, perception and insecurity, given that these components are persistent in our urban experiences, getting to the point where they become principles of spatial and cultural organization. - The last part, is a specific analysis on the city of São Paulo, in Brazil, trying to get a window to respond to the research’ demand, through a field trial, also thanks to the support of CEM (Centro de Estudos da Metrópole). I have tried to focus the attention on the boundary whicht relate public and private spaces, after an huge circulation of securitarian housing techniques, due to the manifestation of different urban disease, described in previous parts, under the different variables of perception. A simple questionnaire, administered to the residents, has allowed to address the in-depth study of the issues in the work, and to verify certain assumptions through a comparison of the results obtained.