As urban centres expand and densify, emergency services are scrambling to extend their reach. To help people feel safer in public spaces, tech brands are now harnessing the power of mobile networks and GPS tracking, with Nimb’s connected panic button proving that wearables aren’t just for workouts.

Brazil’s high crime rates have many citizens looking to protect themselves – and their property – through technology. Me Appego is just one in a variety of safety measures available for drivers nationwide, letting users track their cars via an app and a small GPS device in their glove box.

Brazil is home to 21 of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world, and as trust in the government diminishes, citizens are rallying around the #VemPraRua movement in a bid to reclaim public spaces. How is social media enabling urbanites to shed their fears and embrace their communities?

In the past five years, 210,000 people in São Paulo swapped their houses for flats. The idea of buying into an estate is increasingly appealing to people across backgrounds, ages and classes, but why are they choosing to make their homes in condos rather than traditional houses?