In City of Walls: Crime, Segregation, and Citizenship in São Paulo, Teresa Caldeira examines the dynamics of urban segregation, violence, and citizenship in São Paulo. Her work focuses on how the physical and symbolic walls that divide the city represent tangible expressions of the deep social and economic inequalities that structure urban life. In this context, Caldeira explores how fear of crime has reshaped both public space and social interaction, generating fortified enclaves where wealthier residents attempt to isolate themselves from the perceived dangers of the urban environment. One of the central themes of her analysis is the construction of what she calls “fortified enclaves,” gated and surveilled urban spaces that separate the rich from the poor.
These enclaves are not limited to residential areas; they also include workplaces and leisure spaces designed to minimize interaction with public space and reduce exposure to crime. Caldeira notes that this process of isolation is more pronounced in São Paulo than in cities such as Los Angeles, largely due to high levels of insecurity and widespread distrust in the state’s capacity to maintain order. Caldeira also examines how discourses about crime reinforce social divisions. Through interviews with residents from different neighborhoods in São Paulo, she shows how “talking about crime” becomes a way of organizing the social world.
Fear of crime becomes an omnipresent factor that justifies increasing segregation. This discourse not only legitimizes the construction of walls and security systems but also reinforces a culture of exclusion, in which wealthier residents perceive poorer populations as inherent threats to social order. Another key element of Caldeira’s work is her analysis of the relationship between police violence and urban segregation. According to her research, the police in São Paulo are often perceived as reinforcing social barriers rather than guaranteeing public safety in an equitable manner.
Police tactics—including extrajudicial executions and routine abuses—are frequently tolerated by large sectors of society as a necessary means of controlling crime in poorer areas of the city. This creates a paradox in which the use of force becomes another mechanism of exclusion and control over marginalized populations. Caldeira also connects her analysis to broader dynamics of democracy in Brazil, highlighting what she calls “disjunctive democracy.” Despite advances in expanding political rights following the end of the military dictatorship, civil rights are not equally distributed across the city.
The right to move freely and participate in public life becomes increasingly restricted by the expansion of fortified enclaves and the growing criminalization of working-class populations. In summary, City of Walls offers a critical and in-depth examination of how urban segregation, violence, and security policies are reshaping public space in Latin American cities. Through the case of São Paulo, Caldeira demonstrates how urban fragmentation reinforces structural inequalities, affecting both access to citizenship and the quality of life of the most vulnerable residents. 🌆
