ABSTRACT
The advance of construction techniques and the increase in urban violence led to a process of transformation in Casa Forte, a traditional neighbourhood in the Brazilian city of Recife. Single-family residences are being replaced by large vertical condominiums thanks to their leisurely appeal and security. They became the ideal of happiness for part of the residents of that vicinity, which greatly affected the urban life of that neighbourhood.
It turns out that living in one of these vertical condominiums, with characteristics of fortified enclaves, brings the resident happiness by living in an apartment that not only provides social prestige but it is also considered modern and safe and offers leisurely activities with peers from the same socio-economic point of view. These skyscrapers have also brought a civilizational setback to the neighbourhood. This contributes to the security problem, increasing the traffic and infrastructure problems within the vicinity and generating socio-spatial segregation, which leads to the denial of the city as an area of freedom. Public policies are needed in order to prevent these harmful effects from undermining the collective happiness of the neighbourhood.
