City built by fear

In the book ‘City built by fear: Portraits of everyday life in Quito’, criminologist Timo Peeters and photographer Phelim Hoey paint an intimate portrait of everyday life in a marginalized neighborhood and a wealthy gated community in Quito, Ecuador. In both cases, fear of crime and social inequality are leading themes. Combining a written ethnographic narrative with photographic imagery, the authors provide readers a unique lens through which to perceive the daily choices and practices of city dwellers in diverging circumstances, as well as a sense of being there themselves. The fact that the urban centers of the developing world are the fastest growing cities in the world, makes understanding everyday reality in places such as Quito all the more pressing. Both for professionals and general public, this book offers a compelling peek into the lives of a growing group of city dwellers in the world.