Enhancing Urban Safety and Security: Global Report on Human Settlements 2007

Description

Enhancing Urban Safety and Security addresses three major threats to the safety and security of cities: crime and violence; insecurity of tenure and forced evictions; and natural and human-made disasters. It analyses worldwide trends with respect to each of these threats, paying particular attention to their underlying causes and impacts, as well as to the good policies and best practices that have been adopted at the city, national and international levels in order to address these threats. The report adopts a human security perspective, concerned with the safety and security of people rather than of states, and highlights issues that can be addressed through appropriate urban policy, planning, design and governance.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the agency responsible for coordinating human settlements issues within the United Nations system. It promotes economically productive, socially inclusive and environmentally liveable cities, towns and rural settlements, as well as adequate shelter for all. The Global Report on Human Settlements is the most authoritative and up-to-date global assessment of human settlements conditions and trends. It is an essential reference for researchers, academics, public authorities and civil society organizations all over the world. Preceding issues of the report have addressed such topics as Cities in a Globalizing World, The Challenge of Slums and Financing Urban Shelter.

'Carefully planned and accessibly written' Choice Magazine 'Over the past decade, the world has witnessed growing threats to the safety and security of cities and towns. Some have come in the form of catastrophic events, while others have been manifestations of poverty and inequality, or of rapid and chaotic urbanization processes. This publication, Enhancing Urban Safety and Security: Global Report on Human Settlements 2007, addresses some of the most challenging threats to the safety and security of urban dwellers today. As the report tells us, urban violence and crime are increasing worldwide, giving rise to widespread fear and driving away investment in many cities. Large numbers of people in cities all over the world, including most of the one billion currently living in slums, have no security of tenure, while at least two million are evicted every year ... The report highlights the key role urban planning and governance have to play in making our cities safe and secure for generations to come. Through its documentation of many successful experiences, it promotes learning and sharing of knowledge on urban safety and security. I commend it to all those interested in the health of cities around the world.' From the Foreword by BAN KI-MOON, Secretary-General, United Nations '...an essential tool and reference source for researchers, academics, public authorities and civil society organisations the world over.' Habitat Debate, 2007.