Placial-Discursive Topologies of Violence: Volunteered Geographic Information and the Reproduction of Violent Places in Recife, Brazil

Knowledge and experiences of violence transform the ways in which individuals perceive urban landscape, construct reproduce (un)safety, make everyday decisions regarding mobility use space. This knowledge these are placially anchored shaped by regionalisations. In context interpersonal Recife, Brazil, we examine volunteered geographic information (VGI), formal informal exchange networks, individual experience contribute to reproduction violent spaces. During interviews with civilian residents police officers, explore flows their spatial anchorings before after presenting informants a VGI-based map firearms violence. Following coding, were also analysed using novel, semiautomated text mining algorithm produce context-sensitive co-occurrence graphs key arguments within participant narratives. The results indicate strong differences placial between officers civilians, highlight dynamics VGI amongst local news organisations, as well through social media. These forms constant negotiation individuals’ perceptions study area reflect cognitive-discursive reproductions geographies (un)safety.