Urban security from warfare to welfare

Jennifer S. Light

International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 2002, vol. 26, issue 3, 607-613

Abstract: Recent mobilization efforts to provide urban security in the American ‘War on Terrorism’ recall the expanding military–industrial complex during the nation’s preparations for the Cold War. This article suggests the current generation of American city leaders can learn much from history. Juxtaposing recent mobilization efforts alongside analogous episodes from the nation’s past reminds us that many powerful economic and political interests are well–served by the unbridled expansion of urban fear. This comparison raises important questions to be asked of current and future domestic urban security measures in the ‘War on Terrorism’. Les récents efforts de mobilisation visant à assurer une sécurité urbaine dans le cadre de la ‘guerre’ américaine contre le terrorisme évoquent le complexe militaro–industriel qui s’était développé pendant les préparatifs nationaux à la Guerre froide. La génération actuelle des dirigeants de villes américaines peut apprendre beaucoup de l’histoire. Juxtaposer ces récentes tentatives de mobilisation aux épisodes analogues du passé national rappelle que, pour beaucoup, les puissants intérêts économiques et politiques se nourrissent de l’essor incontrôlé des ‘peurs urbaines’. Cette comparaison suscite d’importantes interrogations quant aux mesures actuelles et futures en matière de sécurité intérieure urbaine dans le contexte de la ‘guerre contre le terrorisme’.

Date: 2002
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