Comprehensive approach
A comprehensive approach in general seeks to address the range of threats by the full spectrum of instruments in order to realise security from a broad point of view, such as objective security, feeling of security, secure and resilient infrastructure, security of the society as a whole, etc.[1] The comprehensive approach as a concept can refer to several dimensions: planning, capability development, security policy and research, in a variety of sectors (transport, energy, food, health care etc.); and is an essential issue to be addressed in emergency management and in each phase of the crisis management cycle.
Comprehensive approach to urban planning
A comprehensive approach to urban planning reflects the fact that in urban systems all phases of the crisis management cycle may be experienced simultaneously in different parts of the city.
While a part of the city may be struck by an incident (such as a natural disaster or terrorist attack), other parts may be under warning, evacuation, or even in an immediate post-disaster phase with restoration (e.g. of supply-related infrastructure) beginning. Still other parts of a city may be in the role of observers and drawing immediate lessons for risk assessment, mitigation, prevention, and preparedness (see crisis management cycle). An ideal tool would consider this non-linearity. Adding to this non-linearity, an ideal approach to consideration of security aspects in urban planning should also reflect that resilience in cities should be grounded in a holistic view of sustainability. Research has proposed to consider the following five interconnected functional components: social, economic, political, demographic, and environmental.[2] Several state of the art technologies to integrate security information are available in order to facilitate comprehensive information of urban planners on security aspects.
Conceptual background
In terms of concept, the comprehensive approach is a reaction to acknowledged limits of the risk reduction approach[3]: By the mid-1990ies, risk reduction was found not to meet public safety needs in risk-prone areas. The solution was sought in a "comprehensive approach" that at the same time would retain the local focus of the community safety approach. As a result, crime control was connected to the general idea of maintaining a normatively good order in a society, reaching from criminal up to environmental issues, and at the same time the concept of devolution of responsibility for enacting such a "comprehensive community safety strategy"[4]
Footnotes and references
- ↑ Cf. FOCUS Project(Foresight Security Scenarios – Mapping Research to a Comprehensive Approach to Exogenous EU Roles): Deliverable 3.1: Problem space report - Comprehensive approach, September 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.focusproject.eu/documents/14976/188ea921-b11f-44fc-a853-cc3dfc8d57f0; FOCUS Project (Foresight Security Scenarios – Mapping Research to a Comprehensive Approach to Exogenous EU Roles): Deliverable 3.2: Alternative future models of comprehensiveness, January 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.focusproject.eu/documents/14976/e3fe4a14-e7f6-4a98-9e66-70d5f1e4a028.
- ↑ Pelling M.: The Vulnerability of Cities: Natural Disasters and Social Resilience. London: Sterling, VA: Earthscan, 2003, 12.
- ↑ Cf. Hope T., Shaw T. M.: Communities and Crime Reduction. London: HMSO, 1988.
- ↑ Matthews R., Pitts J.: Introduction: Beyond Criminology?, in: R. Matthews R., Pitts J. (eds.): Crime, Disorder and Community Safety: A New Agenda? London/New York: Routledge, 2001, 1-25, (4).
