The creation of new management models for urban security policies is a challenge that many local administrations are facing through increasingly innovative tools and new forms of collaboration with the local context.
The action carried out by the municipality of Turin with the European ToNite project represented the starting point for two events organized on the 10th and on the11th of May, respectively in Prato with the Italian Forum for urban security, local administrations and local actors and in Turin, with Anci Piemonte and the Piedmontese municipalities.
The need to deal with urban security issues by implementing regeneraton interventions and initiatives able to involve different sectors of the local administration is the central element of an innovative vision that crosses over various topics of the public action, from the public spaces management to the collaboration with local businesses. The comparison of the good practices implemented by the cities offers the possibility of involving the municipalities in an innovative use of the resources foreseen by the urban security national fund. Innovative projects on urban security can address specific elements affecting citizens’ perception of security and replicate the experience of some cities in developing integrated policies for increasing urban livability, preventing marginalization and degradation phenomena.
The focus on night-time policies highlighted by cities such as Bologna, Florence and Ferrara, which presented ongoing policies and interventions on this topic, highlighted the need to address the phenomena associated with safety and livability in the evening and at night in a structural way, thus making the night a potential element of tourist valorisation and economic growth. Collaboration with local actors, also promoted by the experience of Turin, is also essential for promoting innovative ways of using public space and forms of street entertainment, and education that stenghts the community and a better perception of shared safety.
The replicability of these models of integrated security even in smaller municipalities represents a solution for cities that intend to invest in the night to restore liveliness to historical centres, as evidenced by both Prato and Cuneo and other Piedmontese municipalities. Rethinking a plurality of public services available at night is a starting point for other European cities, including Bordeaux, represented by the European Forum for Urban Security. EFUS, present at the Prato meeting, explained how Bordeaux structured integrated policies for urban security able to combine differentiation of the cultural offer, sustainable mobility and use of public spaces.
The workshops in Prato and Turin also favored the discussions on the methods of governance of the integrated urban security models adopted by the various cities, such as the inter-sectoral table in Turin municipality which involved various sectors including urban planning, culture and management of public green spaces, which allowed the integration of all resources offered by the REACT funds for the redevelopment of the Lungo Dora. Other cities, such as Bologna, have launched forms of public consultation to identify how administration and local actors can work together for a safer and more inclusive night.
The results of the ToNite project will be promoted by Anci over the next few months with a series of national and international events which will culminate in the final conference to be held in Turin at the beginning of July.
