Contact Point CERV, Centre for Political Education (Luxembourg)

Philippe Ternes is a consultant in international & EU affairs active in a variety of European cities as well as in the MENA region. He currently serves as contact point of the Citizens, Equality, Rights & Values Programme in Luxembourg, in cooperation with the Centre for Citizenship Education (www.zpb.lu). Philippe further supports the European Parliament Ambassador School programme and occasionally teaches international and EU Affairs to public servants.

He further serves as co-head of network of the Anna Lindh Foundation in Luxembourg, an inter-governmental institution bringing together civil society, citizens and governments across the Mediterranean to build trust and improve mutual understanding.

 

 

Do you have any specific hopes or predictions for the future of urban security? (What will urban security look like in 30 years? What will be the main opportunities and risks?)

 

– Crowd surveillance through mobile apps for citizens leading to live monitoring, updates and warning systems

– Drone Surveillance

– Disappearance of cars in cities and further development of instant public transport which should be financed by the state (individual cars are an inefficient an insecure way of transportation)

– Clean air: limiting pollution

– Rules limiting sound pollution (modern cars and motorbikes can be very loud)

– Installation of facilities providing clean freshwater (risk: water scarcity)

 

 

Why do you think it is so important to involve citizens in urban security practice?

 

–  In order to increase acceptance of new surveillance technologies while ensuring maximum data protection and limiting the collection of data, relying on citizen reporting and local management;

– in order to create awareness and implement live warning systems while limiting the presence of drones and other technologies by relying on citizen reporting;

– in order to foster pro-active citizen involvement and favour bottom-up surveillance over top-down surveillance;

– in order to counter the isolation of citizens and foster interpersonal exchange (risk: new technologies allow humans to live without face-to-face communication. This in turn constitutes a psychological hazard);

– giving young people a role so that they feel valued and responsible for their city.

Focusing on security is the new hype, because we have created so many challenges and hazards. However, with a focus on security comes the risk of hiding the underlying reasons for the lack of security, such as increasing inequalities and psychological strain. We are creating new technologies which do not always serve our human needs or even run counter to them. It is thus very important to adopt a holistic approach to human security and safety.