Concrete Solutions to Counter Terrorism in Public Urban Spaces

Anna Thurmayr (University of Manitoba)

It is difficult to stop someone from using a car to kill. Vehicle rampages have injured and killed hundreds of people in recent years. Deliberate attacks involving trucks or cars occurred in London, Toronto, and Houston in 2018; in London, Stockholm, Barcelona, Edmonton, New York, and Jerusalem in 2017; in Berlin, Nice, Valence, and Columbia in 2016; in Las Vegas and Lyon in 2015; and in Nantes, Dijon, and Quebec in 2014. The list of attacks on crowds is long and shows a disturbing and growing trend to use vehicles as weapons!

Fear is in the air. Large outdoor gatherings, crowded streets, outdoor markets, festivals, parades and political rallies have become sites of potential security threats. Municipal leaders around the world have listened to the mounting public concerns and approved security measures to protect civilians and city centers. Common measures include local law enforcement with a robust public safety presence, and temporary installations of physical barriers in areas where a high volume of pedestrian traffic is expected.

This presentation will explore critical solutions to physically bolstering potential targets by responding to pedestrian behavior and the task of designing applicable, moveable concrete objects. Compelling strategies are needed that temporarily block vehicular traffic and secure pedestrian movement ideally in an aesthetically pleasing way.

How can barricades make places hospitable and permeable for pedestrians? How can concrete units convey a feeling of safety without highlighting the potential danger? How can renderings, construction drawings, and physical scale models enrich the discussion?

In close dialogue initiated by concrete industry leaders, the challenge of creating concrete barriers to support a safer environment while adding an appealing sculptural element was accepted. Embracing the limitless potential of interdisciplinary university and business venture collaborations, a resulting prototype will be commercialized to shape future urban design and curb harmful behavior.