Resumo:
The current article aims to present and discuss the role of public space as an intervention for the prevention of violence and crime. A summary of the importance of public space for interaction and cohabitation in urban downtown areas and the presentation of principle theories of the prevention of violence through urban planning and design are complemented by a discussion of the possibilities and limits of these theories and their impacts. Two initiatives of urban project implementation that consider the relationship between public space and the prevention of violence illustrate theories in a Brazilian context. At the same time, the article aims to discuss the intuitive use of special theories applying to criminal groups, expanding on some examples in the current Brazilian situation.
