| Summary: | This thesis addresses the social and cultural significance of the streets of residential areas for their residents. It includes case studies of two low-income residential areas in Vitoria, Brazil: a government housing project and an area of self-help housing, the result of the invasion of a mangrove' swamp with subsequent upgrading by the local government. The case studies concentrate on residents' use of their streets exploring aspects of the relationship between the home and the street. The research focuses on, the ways in which individuals and groups of residents 'read' their streets and ascribe meanings to them. Five main themes are explored: the origin and process of development of the residential areas; the everyday use of the streets by residents; the way fear of crime influences people's feeling about their private property and the public space of the street; the changes residents have produced in their streets (and their homes in relation to the streets) and the way streets influence the interaction between residents in everyday life. Based on these five themes this thesis reveals how local values are constructed and negotiated. The theoretical framework is derived from different interdisciplinary approaches, especially from architecture, urban design and planning, and cultural/humanistic geography, and a variety of methodological procedures including qualitative and quantitative methods are employed. This study not only contributes to the academic literature addressing the significance of streets in the built environment but also offers insights with respect to the design of new residential areas and planning policies for existing low-income areas
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