Global Urban Violence is a research-practitioner network on urban violence formed under a British Academy Knowledge Frontiers seed funded initiative called ‘Confronting Urban Violence: Global Interdisciplinary Investigations’ and involved UK-Brazil bilateral workshops undertaken by Dr Ashvin Devasundaram (Queen Mary University), Dr Marcio Mattos (Brazilian Higher Institute of Police Science /University of Brasilia) and Dr Stamatis Zografos (University College London) in 2022.

This initiative comprised intensive panel presentations, discussions, roundtable brainstorming sessions and focus group sessions in London and Brazil brought together a diverse array of cross-disciplinary contributors spanning researchers, arts practitioners, psychotherapists, film curators, policymakers and military police officers.

The network’s research interactions will result in an 18-chapter edited collection Urban Violence and Marginalised Communities: Multidisciplinary Interpretations commissioned for Open Access publication in 2025 by UCL Press. The book is co-edited by Dr Ashvin Devasundaram (Queen Mary University of London), Dr Stamatis Zografos (Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL), Dr Marcio Mattos (Higher Academy of Police Sciences, University of Brasilia) and Dr Zoe Holman (Queen Mary University of London). The volume features contributions from members of the network and combines disciplinary areas of migration and politics, built environment, policing, film, media and performing arts.