Security in Public Spaces

The Urban Agenda for the EU Partnership on Security in Public Spaces has been working on a self-assessment tool that evaluates and measures urban safety and security. It is meant to support urban policies and provide indications on how to implement relevant approaches and tools. Please see below a report showcasing the outcome of the pilot study, as well as the accompanying user manual.

As there is limited knowledge and/or expertise on the SbD approach in various local and regional authorities, the Partnership on Security in Public Spaces has developed material with concrete recommendations to enhance authorities' working processes connected to urban planning and design for safer public spaces. The materials were to be hands-on and user-friendly in order to encourage their adoption.

As part of the implementation of Action 2, the Partnership on Security in Public Spaces published a guidebook introducing local and regional urban policy makers to a wide range of EU funding opportunities in the field of security in public spaces.

This Action sought to contribute to the development of a more secure, safe, and resilient local community. It provided local policymakers and security managers with a hands-on method for measuring the impact of local social cohesion actions on urban security and feelings of insecurity within the local community.

Facial recognition technologies (FRT) can help authorities to combat with threats, such as terrorism. However, it may spark debate in the areas of data privacy and individual freedoms. Our next case study looks at the practical use of FRT during the Nice Carnival and how its effectiveness may create the basis for improved European legislative control on the usage of AI applications. Follow the link to find out more about this Action!

Our seventh article examines how procurement might used as a lever to enable facilitate more effective urban mobility within and between areas, as well as address security challenges. Follow the link below to read the article.

This study contributes to Action 1 of the Urban Agenda Partnership on Security in Public Spaces. In this light, the Action Plan foresees evolution of a self-assessment tool that would support EU cities and regions in urban safety and security. It seeks to diminish the knowledge gap within the urban authorities and ensure the creation of effective policies for an improved urban security.

The Partnership have now published two new deliverables under their Action 5, which looks at measuring the impact of social cohesion and inclusion on security in public spaces of urban and peri-urban areas. The deliverables include a report on the Collective Impact Model which aims to provide innovative solutions for complex and persistent urban security challenges, and a Manual Prevention Pyramid which maps existing local policy regarding the reduction of feelings of insecurity.

In the framework of its Action 5, the Security in Public Spaces Partnership is supporting the idea that social cohesion measures should be part of an integrated urban security policy. They developed a manual as the first outcome of Action 5, which you can read here, and which aims to map existing local policy regarding the reduction of feelings of insecurity.

The Partnership for Security in Public Spaces conducted its 8th Partnership meeting on 11-12 May 2021. Follow the link to read about relevant discussions, updates, and next steps for the Partnership.

Join Efus's web conference in the framework of Action 2 and 4 of the Partnership on Security in Public Spaces on EU funding opportunities for local and regional authorities concerning the topic of urban security. The event will take place on Zoom, with the participation of expert Thijs Fikken (Action 2) on the 25 June at 10h (CET).

Please contribute to our Security in Public Spaces Partnership by taking 10-15minutes to complete their survey on Action 4: Development of a capacity building training scheme about integrated sustainable urban security.

The Security in Public Spaces Partnership, coordinated by the City of Nice, has launched this survey to find out about the current uses of AI technologies and the challenges faced by cities and regions in developing and/or implementing them, in the context of their 3rd Action.

The Security in Public Spaces Partnership held its 7th Partnership Meeting online from the 27-28 January 2021. The focus of the meeting was on the implementation of Actions, a process which has now started. The implementation phase follows the Partnership publication of its Action Plan. Read the full article here.

The Security in Public Spaces Partnership is collecting information on current security by design approaches by EU cities and regions put to include them in a hands-on guidance leaflet.

The Security in Public Spaces Partnership is constructing a framework for a self-assessment tool on security and safety aimed at local authorities in EU Member States, with the ultimate goal being the creation of a joint dashboard urban authorities can use to gauge their progress and/or weaknesses to overcome.

How can cities better protect vulnerable public spaces? That is the question that the PACTESUR project, led by the City of Nice, which also Coordinates the Urban Agenda Partnership on Security in Public Spaces, has been exploring since January 2019. Read the article here!

In the framework of their Action: “Evaluate the Application of Artificial Intelligence”, please help the Partnership by filling in a quick survey on the challenges that cities and regions face in developing and/or implementing AI technology.

Congratulations to the UA Partnership who has developed "Recommendations on EU security strategy, multi-level, participatory and innovative governance and funding" in the context of their second Action! Read the declaration below.

The Action Plan aims at providing directions on how to face global and local challenges of our times to create safer cities and public spaces and to bring real European added value. The Actions are driven by technology for smart, sustainable, and safe cities and managing security and sharing public spaces in urban and peri-urban areas.