Preparing for Disasters in Global Cities

An International Comparison

Author(s): Tim Prior, Florian Roth
Series: Risk and Resilience Reports
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich
Publication Year: 2013

Today, the majority of the globes inhabitants live in urban areas. According to all forecasts cities will continue to grow in the coming decades. At the same time, cities have become increasingly connected as a result of economic, political and cultural globalization. In the context of urban security, the growing complexity these connections bring may present a double-edged sword: cities can be both the most secure, or most dangeropus places when disaster strikes. The very characteristics of urban life - such as population concentrations, compact architectural structures, diverse socio-demographics, as well as complex, interconnected infrastructure systems - present both challenges and opportunities in terms of managing disasters in cities.

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