
The limited role of private security in the public space
Paris, France, March 2022 – The security of public spaces relies on multiple actors and professions from both the public and the private sector, which all have different…
Public spaces are places for exchange, culture, trade, leisure and political expression, all activities that are (arguably) quintessentially urban. In this sense, public spaces play
an important role in strengthening social cohesion in a city or a neighbourhood. Conversely, when they are neglected or badly managed, they can generate more
exclusion and marginalisation.
Public spaces are also an essential part of a city’s image and attractiveness. Different groups of people use them differently (young people vs. seniors, women vs. men…), which can create tensions among users and with local residents. Furthermore, because of their open nature and, in some cases, their symbolic meaning for a city or country, and the fact that they attract crowds, public spaces can be targets for terrorism, as seen in the past decade with the series of attacks in and against European cities.
How to plan, design, manage, and secure these spaces while respecting fundamental freedoms? This is a complex challenge for local and regional authorities, which are striving to embed security in the design and management of such spaces in partnership with local communities.
Since 2019, Efus has been coordinating together with the Cities of Nice (FR) and Madrid (SP) the Partnership on the security of public spaces of the Urban Agenda for the European Union.
> Minutes of the workshop organised as part of the 2021 conference:
Discover the actions implemented in communities across Europe through our summary documents, which present the key elements of each of these initiatives, including their context, objectives, activities, budget, evaluation. All of our practice and summary sheets can be found on Efus Network.
Paris, France, March 2022 – The security of public spaces relies on multiple actors and professions from both the public and the private sector, which all have different…
Paris, France, February 2022 – How to improve the integrated management of risks and cooperation for the protection of public spaces? We’ve asked Yves Van de Vloet, research…
This podcast series explores the current risks and threats affecting European cities’ public spaces and how to address and mitigate them. Following a short introduction, the podcast discusses:…
Turin, Italy, November 2021 – The PACTESUR project, which is led by the city of Nice (France) and in which Efus is a partner, held a local governance…
Paris, France, January 2022 – How can local authorities adapt to the changing character of threats and risks in public space protection? Martyn’s Law, more officially known as…
The following article was written by three researchers from the University of Leeds: Adam Crawford (Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice), Susan Donkin (Research Associate in European Urban…
Nice, France, October 2021 – While the protection of public spaces featured prominently at Efus’ Security, Democracy and Cities conference (Nice, 20-22 October), the consortium of the European…
A specialist in street art based in Liège (BE), Michaël Nicolaï* is part of the group of experts of the PACTESUR project on the protection of public spaces, where he…
Brussels, Belgium, December, 2020 – An architect working at the Direction Sécurité locale intégrale du Service Public Fédéral Intérieur (Ministry of the Interior) of the Belgium Government, Eric Valerio is a…
Nothing left to load.