By 2050, it is projected that there will be 3.1 billion additional people living in cities as the trend toward urbanization continues with approximately 80% of the world’s GDP coming from urban centers. People are moving back to urban areas to have access to industry, as well as the services and conveniences a city offers. This growing urban population makes planning for current and future needs more difficult and puts increased pressure on infrastructure and budgets.
As a city’s population grows, security becomes an even larger issue. Increased criminal activities create additional stress for the cities law enforcement and the judicial system, since the city now requires additional police patrolling. In addition, there seems to be a new competitiveness for cities to attract and retain residents and corporations to take advantage of the benefits of a broader tax base.
The purpose of this paper is to explore ways that city leaders can work towards the goal of a safe and secure integrated city and options for financing safety and security technologies for their city.
Key Takeaways
- As urbanization continues and population grows, so does the threat to safety and security in our major cities. This is going to be an ongoing concern. Therefore, city leaders and managers will need to plan and budget for funding technology improvements for city systems and infrastructure.
- Technology will play an increasingly important role in protecting property and most importantly, the residents. City leaders need to invest in technology that has a planned integration path downstream to maximize their existing investments and infrastructure.
- There are multiple funding options available for city leaders and managers for financing their security projects.