Approved projects in the "Future of urban security" field
A large share of Germany’s and France’s populations live in urban areas and conurbations. The diverse range of leisure and cultural activities on offer make a major contribution to the quality of life of urban populations. However, high infrastructure density, coupled with changes in population structure, can lead to new threats to civil security, requiring new solutions to be found. The “Future of urban security” programme, run jointly by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), is intended to provide funding for interdisciplinary research projects to improve urban security in France and Germany.
The programme is a continuation of the two organisations’ successful long-standing bilateral cooperation in the field of civil security research. As well as improving national security in the two countries, it aims to contribute to the European security architecture.
Ongoing joint projects:
NOLAN: Public-private partnership for scaleable emergency logistics for urban areas in the event of a disaster
Funding codes 13N14457 to 13N14459
A reliable supply of essential resources such as drinking water, food and medicine is a basic public need usually met by retailers. If their logistics fail due to a natural disaster or infrastructural problems, governmental action can be necessary to secure supplies. The aim of the NOLAN project is to develop an integrated emergency logistics strategy for failures in private-sector supply structures. The intention is to bring public authorities and private enterprises together to ensure basic supplies for the public and to secure the flow of information between the various stakeholders. The project will also develop the criteria necessary for crisis cooperation between public authorities and enterprises and examine the legal aspects and implementability of said criteria.
More information (only available in German)
SUSQRA: Schutz vor unkonventionellen Sprengvorrichtungen – Charakterisierung und quantitative Risikoanalyse
Funding codes 13N14513 bis 13N14516
Selbstgebaute Sprengsätze unterschiedlichster Bauart und Größe können fast überall deponiert werden, weshalb sie eine vielschichtige Bedrohung darstellen. Um angemessene Sicherheitsmaßnahmen ergreifen zu können, muss das stark variierende Gefahrenpotenzial selbstgebauter Sprengsätze realistisch bewertet werden. Ziel des Projekts SUSQRA ist es, ein Softwaresystem zu entwickeln, mit dem das zu erwartende Schadensausmaß von unkonventionellen Sprengvorrichtungen quantitativ ermittelt werden kann. Die Software soll für unterschiedlichste Klassen von Sprengsätzen mit beliebigen Geometrien einsetzbar sein und insbesondere die Wirkung von Splittern detailgetreu berücksichtigen. Zudem ist die Realisierung eines Analyse-Tools vorgesehen, mit dem die forensische Bewertung nach einem Ereignis effektiv unterstützt wird.
More information (only available in Germen)
Completed research projects:
DiverCity: Neighbourhood security and diversity
Funding codes 13N14510 to 13N14512
More and more people choose to live in towns or cities because of the wide range of cultural activities and the career prospects they offer. Urban neighbourhoods are changing, not only due to the newcomers but also because of demographic developments. Neighbourhood security is becoming an increasingly important aspect in connection with housing, neighbourhood relations, integration of immigrants, etc. The DiverCity project is devising strategies with which to create or preserve safe living environments and good neighbourhood relations in urban districts. To do so, it is using case studies to identify aspects of crime prevention and measures that cater for the needs of a diverse neighbourhood and enhance integration and security. In parallel to this, the project is carrying out local surveys and housing market analyses with which to detect effects on inhabitants’ sense of security and changes in crime rates. Positive examples will be used to produce recommendations for action that can also be used in other local districts.
More information (only available in German)
DRUSEC: Drugs in public places - challenges for urban security
Funding codes 13N14471 to 13N14475
Due to their appearance and precarious lifestyle, people active in open drug scenes are often seen as a risk in themselves. However, assessing the danger they actually pose is often difficult. The DRUSEC project is carrying out research in Germany and France to investigate objective and subjective risks in urban spaces where drugs are present. The aim is to produce security assessments with which to identify potential dangers and reveal subjective misperceptions of risk. The project is intended to draw up recommendations for action on settings where consumption of alcohol and illicit drugs is a common feature.
More information (only available in German)
OPMOPS: Organized Pedestrian Movement in Public Spaces: Preparation and Crisis Management of Urban Parades and Demonstration Marches with High Conflict Potential
Funding codes 13N14561 to 13N14565
Public protest marches, rallies and events planned longer in advance – such as carnival or musical parades – are an expression of a free and open society. Protecting such events, those taking part and the public is a challenge for law enforcement officers and organisers alike. This Franco-German project is working on a digital decision-support tool to help increase safety at large events. It uses 3D visualisation software to analyse situations in real time, predict their progression and make recommendations concerning, for example, personnel/route/emergency planning. Legal aspects are taken into account in the decision process from the very beginning, thus ensuring that the recommended actions are appropriate.
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S2UCRE: Security in urban environments - crowd monitoring, prediciton and decision support
Funding codes 13N14463 to 13N14468
Large crowds of people at public events can quickly result in dangerous situation. One example is the public broadcast of the UEFA Champions League final in Turin, where 1,500 people were injured when firecrackers caused mass panic. As part of the S2UCRE project, a video surveillance network is to be set up to monitor crowds and estimate crowd densities in urban spaces. This information will be combined with other data on panic reactions or group processes, and used for simulation and short-term prediction of crowd dynamics. In particular, these activities will also include aspects concerning the protection of event participants’ data. The intention is that the results of the project will enable organisers and law enforcement agencies to respond to unexpected developments in an even more targeted manner.
More information (only availabe in German)
SiBa: Neighbourhood security near railway stations
Funding codes 13N14412 and 13N14413
Although modern railway stations are often seen as a way of promoting a city’s image, the districts around them also often attract prostitution and drug use and the public tend to consider them to be crime-ridden, problem-ridden places. The SiBa project is designed to develop new strategies and methods to make stations and their surrounding environments safer. To this end, the project team are conducting representative surveys of nearby residents to find out about the local situation. They are also inspecting and observing the areas in order to document the security situation. This analysis will be used to draw up an integrated, practical prevention and action strategy for urban development and for implementation of crime-prevention measures in the neighbourhoods affected.
More information (only available in German)
SiQua: Security analyses and networking for changing urban districts
Funding codes 13N14518 to 13N14522
Germany has a long and varied history of migration, including refugees, asylum seekers, resettlers and “guest workers”. The goal of the SiQua project is to enhance local authorities’ expertise in dealing with urban change processes. It will examine local problem areas in selected urban districts, using comparative analyses, case studies, workshops and a survey on security matters. Training courses will be run to provide local authorities with the necessary skills to manage change processes in urban districts. The research phase of the project will also include a pilot project in Dresden aimed at giving the local population a stronger sense of security.
More information (only available in German)
Stadtsicherheit-3D: Assessment and improvement of urban security using semantic 3D city models
Funding codes 13N14513 to 13N14516
Demographers expect Germany’s cities to see a 10 to 15% increase in population by the year 2035. The Stadtsicherheit-3D project will use interviews to collect and scientifically validate data on local authorities’ current approaches to assessing urban security. The findings will be used to design a software-based assessment method that can be applied to existing 3D city models, allowing automated assessment of security in urban areas. Specific measures for redesigning public spaces will be drawn up and summarised in recommendations for action for local-level policymakers.
More information (only available in German)
SUVEREN: Improvement of safety where new energy sources are used in subterranean urban traffic areas
Funding codes 13N14391 to 13N14393
For some time, alternative vehicle propulsion systems have been developed and used in an effort to conserve resources and reduce CO2 emissions. Although the number of newly registered hybrid and electric cars has risen sharply, so far there are hardly any reliable studies of how the new energy sources behave in the case, for example, of fire. The SUVEREN project is analysing risks associated with the use of alternative energy sources in subterranean traffic areas, such as underground garages or tunnels. The aspects being investigated include the fire behaviour of batteries and pressurised gas tanks as well as of composite materials used in vehicles. Important topics to be covered by the research are the interaction between smoke gases and extinguishing agents as well as possibilities for using sprinklers or water mist extinguishing systems to fight, for example, battery fires.
More information (only available in German)
U-THREAT: Underground transport hub resilience to ensure availability and tackle danger
Funding codes 13N14446 to 13N14449
Underground transport hubs have an important part to play in cities. However, since even minor disruptions can cause major problems in underground systems, these hubs need to be made more resilient. The aim of the U-THREAT project is to ensure reliable continued operation or to restore operation quickly following an incident. The basis is an assessment system for determining the vulnerability of specific sections of line. This will then be used to draw up proposals for structural work to enhance the protection of said sections. In addition, a simulation tool is to be created to provide alternative routes in the event of a particular route having to be shut down.
More information (only available in German)