Sumptuous city solitude: Vila Madalena, São Paulo, Brasil by Drucker Arquitetura.

I have featured a couple of small houses built in the city of São Paulo in the last couple of months. One of the houses was built in the mid 20^th century, the other recently. A common thread running through those and the one featured here is they are essentially private and inward looking - mini castles with high walls and gates. I have relatives that live in the city, though I have never been, they talk of security and social difficulties. I wonder if the situation is worse than say Georgian London at the time that Bloomsbury Square was built. That development of fancy houses gives a great deal to the city in the form of a generous square and public gardens. Do such developments also give civility, order and discipline to the city? Vila Madalena by Drucker Arquitetura, looks like a wonderful place to live for two parents and three small children who will share its 400 square metres. Spacious as this might seem, will the children be able to play football on the street? In Brazil I think this is an important cultural question.