Crowd security platform successfully developed A new European security platform that can simulate crowd behaviour in urban environments during threating situations has just been developed. This new platform promises to save lives and help authorities deal with threats more efficiently when they arise. Climate Change and Environment © jan kranendonk, Shutterstock Crowd safety is emerging as a major concern in cities that are exposed to threats, from natural disasters caused by global warming to deliberate acts of terrorism. The EU-funded SAFECITI (Simulation platform for the analysis of crowd turmoil in urban environments with training and predictive capabilities) project developed a fully functional platform to manage crowds caught in such events. To achieve its aims, the project brought together different partners from France, Italy, Romania and Switzerland with experts from the police force in Spain. Together, the team successfully developed a system, the principle component of which is a crowd simulation module to model the behaviour of crowds of up to 10 000 people. The platform also includes an urban generation module with real city maps including street structure. Among its useful features, the platform or system offers different user profiles that include tailored interfaces and functionalities for each – e.g. for instructors or for trainees. It can be adapted to different security forces through customisation according to end-users' needs and procedures. Also noteworthy is the platform's ability to ensure communication for chat or voice, ensuring more seamless contact during operations. On another level, it offers predictive capabilities, meaning it can recommend actions during an exercise based on similar situations in the past. The outcomes and results of this promising platform have been disseminated through global security events such as Milipol Paris. They were also communicated through the project website, relevant conferences and direct contact with security forces. If adopted, the platform will contribute to minimising risk, saving lives and taking proactive measures to respond to a variety of threats in cities. Keywords Crowd security, urban environments, disasters, SAFECITI, simulation platform
