Security zones create ‘architecture of fear’
Parts of America’s most prominent downtowns remain largely sealed off as security zones, which has led to blighted landscapes, limited public access and a need for a new approach to urban planning, according to a new study.
One decade after the 9/11 attacks, parts of America’s most prominent downtowns remain largely sealed off as security zones, which has led to blighted landscapes, limited public access and a need for a new approach to urban planning, according to a new study.
“Our most open, public cities are becoming police states,” said Jeremy Németh, assistant professor of planning and design at the University of Colorado Denver. “While a certain amount of security is necessary after terror attacks, no amount of anti-terror architecture would have stopped the 9/11 attacks, or the Madrid or London subway bombings. And by limiting access and closing off space, we limit the potential for more `eyes on the street’ to catch possible acts in the process.”
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