Periodic Reporting for period 3 - IcARUS (Innovative AppRoach to Urban Security)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-09-01 al 2024-08-31
IcARUS aimed to transform urban security practices by developing transferable tools in four areas: juvenile delinquency, radicalisation, organised crime and public spaces. It was a response to trends in declining public trust, budget constraints, evolving security challenges and technological advancements. It therefore sought to rethink urban security by shifting focus from short-term measures to more sustainable, prevention-oriented approaches, to enable urban security actors to better respond to modern challenges and provide resources for addressing key security issues. The approach also aimed at placing citizens at the heart of these policies through co-production and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
IcARUS successfully piloted innovative methodologies and tools in 6 cities: Turin, Lisbon, Stuttgart, Riga, Nice and Rotterdam. The tools included an early intervention programme and a decision-making support tool for juvenile delinquency, an arts-based intervention to counter radicalisation, a community engagement tool for organised crime, improved understanding of citizens' feeling of insecurity, and gender-inclusive public spaces. It fostered a culture of innovation by supporting experimentation, prototyping, and citizen-focused solutions.
Its outcomes will be further developed through the Innovation Studio, a resource hub offering training, expert guidance and support to other cities. It will continue to drive inclusive and sustainable solutions, ensuring the ongoing impact of IcARUS pioneering work, fostering stronger collaborations between local authorities, law enforcement, civil society and citizens.
IcARUS successfully piloted innovative methodologies and tools in 6 cities: Turin, Lisbon, Stuttgart, Riga, Nice and Rotterdam. The tools included an early intervention programme and a decision-making support tool for juvenile delinquency, an arts-based intervention to counter radicalisation, a community engagement tool for organised crime, improved understanding of citizens' feeling of insecurity, and gender-inclusive public spaces. It fostered a culture of innovation by supporting experimentation, prototyping, and citizen-focused solutions.
Its outcomes will be further developed through the Innovation Studio, a resource hub offering training, expert guidance and support to other cities. It will continue to drive inclusive and sustainable solutions, ensuring the ongoing impact of IcARUS pioneering work, fostering stronger collaborations between local authorities, law enforcement, civil society and citizens.
It also developed the ethical and legal frameworks, involving an analysis of relevant European and national regulations in crime prevention and urban security(WP6). An ethical protocol was established to ensure IcARUS was socially responsible, with all partners committed to adhering to these standards.
Secondly, IcARUS developed 6 tools by applying the DT and Human-Centred approaches, in close collaboration with city partners, end -users, local stakeholders, and the Expert Advisory Board. Consultations and workshops played a central role WP3 also produced sets of indicators for each city tool, helping assess their impact within the limited timescale available.
Thirdly, IcARUS demonstrated the tools in real-world settings. In each city, tailored training sessions and validation workshops helped ensure that local stakeholders were fully engaged. They provided valuable feedback, allowing IcARUS to make improvements.
It both adapted existing tools to urban contexts and developed new working methods in WP3. The cities that developed new tools and methods are: Turin: Sbocciamo Torino, a decision-making support tool, Riga: a decision-making support tool and a survey method on feelings of insecurity, Rotterdam: Spaanse Polder Café, an innovative use of the World Café method to engage the business community in tackling organised crime, Stuttgart: TRICK17, an innovative arts-based intervention to counter youth radicalisation. Cities that adapted existing tools are: Jovem Design Lisboa, adapting the UK’s Youth Design Against Crime Programme; Demandez Angela, adapting the UK’s Ask Angela scheme to Nice.
The new tools and the adaptation of existing ones are considered innovative. They were evaluated using locally developed success indicators, helping identify areas for improvement and ensuring the tools were adaptable and sustainable. Training materials were also created to ensure the sustainability and transferability of the tools. The Innovation Studio was then introduced, a model developed to support the use of IcARUS tools and methods. It serves as a hub for knowledge exchange and will facilitate the broader adoption of IcARUS solutions by other cities.
Last but not least, to raise awareness, it created a website, social media accounts and , and a wide range of communication and dissemination materials tailored to different formats and audiences. This included branding materials (logo, graphics, promotional videos, newsletters and leaflets), factsheets, webinars, policy briefs and papers. The results were then disseminated through international conferences, social media, and newsletters. Key topics such as gender inclusion in security policies and the involvement of citizens in managing public spaces were discussed in various forums.
Secondly, IcARUS developed 6 tools by applying the DT and Human-Centred approaches, in close collaboration with city partners, end -users, local stakeholders, and the Expert Advisory Board. Consultations and workshops played a central role WP3 also produced sets of indicators for each city tool, helping assess their impact within the limited timescale available.
Thirdly, IcARUS demonstrated the tools in real-world settings. In each city, tailored training sessions and validation workshops helped ensure that local stakeholders were fully engaged. They provided valuable feedback, allowing IcARUS to make improvements.
It both adapted existing tools to urban contexts and developed new working methods in WP3. The cities that developed new tools and methods are: Turin: Sbocciamo Torino, a decision-making support tool, Riga: a decision-making support tool and a survey method on feelings of insecurity, Rotterdam: Spaanse Polder Café, an innovative use of the World Café method to engage the business community in tackling organised crime, Stuttgart: TRICK17, an innovative arts-based intervention to counter youth radicalisation. Cities that adapted existing tools are: Jovem Design Lisboa, adapting the UK’s Youth Design Against Crime Programme; Demandez Angela, adapting the UK’s Ask Angela scheme to Nice.
The new tools and the adaptation of existing ones are considered innovative. They were evaluated using locally developed success indicators, helping identify areas for improvement and ensuring the tools were adaptable and sustainable. Training materials were also created to ensure the sustainability and transferability of the tools. The Innovation Studio was then introduced, a model developed to support the use of IcARUS tools and methods. It serves as a hub for knowledge exchange and will facilitate the broader adoption of IcARUS solutions by other cities.
Last but not least, to raise awareness, it created a website, social media accounts and , and a wide range of communication and dissemination materials tailored to different formats and audiences. This included branding materials (logo, graphics, promotional videos, newsletters and leaflets), factsheets, webinars, policy briefs and papers. The results were then disseminated through international conferences, social media, and newsletters. Key topics such as gender inclusion in security policies and the involvement of citizens in managing public spaces were discussed in various forums.
Progress beyond the state of the art: IcARUS advances traditional urban security approaches by integrating a human-centred, co-creation model that prioritises collaboration between LEAs, local authorities, and CSOs. Moving beyond conventional top-down enforcement methods, the project incorporates social science insights and community-oriented practices to address security challenges uniquely tailored to urban environments.
Expected results until the end of the project: The project has developed and tested six innovative tools and promoted a culture of innovation by supporting experimentation, prototyping, and citizen-focused solutions. The tools were co-designed with the active involvement of local communities, ensuring they were tailored to meet specific local needs. This participatory process not only enhanced the relevance and effectiveness of the tools but also fostered greater ownership among end-users, promoting their long-term use. IcARUS also produced comprehensive training and evaluation frameworks that will support the transferability and sustainability of the project’s results. The launch of the Innovation Studio is offering a hub for knowledge exchange and capacity building, and ensuring that the tools and methodologies developed during IcARUS can be adapted and adopted by other cities across Europe. Overall, IcARUS successfully integrated modern security practices with a focus on inclusivity and collaboration, marking an important step forward in how urban security challenges are addressed. Finally, it has promoted participation and co-production as core principles through all the process, while advocating gender as an essential transversal aspect in the urban security tools. IcARUS has ensured that security policies and tools are sensitive to the diverse experiences of men, women and non-binary individuals.
Potential impacts: The socio-economic impacts include strengthened community resilience, reduced costs associated with crime, and improved citizen well-being due to safer urban environments. Wider societal implications include enhanced public trust in LEAs, more inclusive security policies that will ultimately reflect the needs of diverse urban populations, and a model of sustainable collaboration that can be adopted in other EU initiatives aimed at improving public security. This improved relationship is likely to lead to more effective crime prevention strategies and greater community engagement in maintaining public safety. By embedding a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within LEAs and local authorities, IcARUS thus sets a new benchmark for human-centred security frameworks, with the potential to influence policy at both national and EU levels.
IcARUS ensured that the tools and approaches developed will continue to evolve, making a lasting impact on urban security practices.
Expected results until the end of the project: The project has developed and tested six innovative tools and promoted a culture of innovation by supporting experimentation, prototyping, and citizen-focused solutions. The tools were co-designed with the active involvement of local communities, ensuring they were tailored to meet specific local needs. This participatory process not only enhanced the relevance and effectiveness of the tools but also fostered greater ownership among end-users, promoting their long-term use. IcARUS also produced comprehensive training and evaluation frameworks that will support the transferability and sustainability of the project’s results. The launch of the Innovation Studio is offering a hub for knowledge exchange and capacity building, and ensuring that the tools and methodologies developed during IcARUS can be adapted and adopted by other cities across Europe. Overall, IcARUS successfully integrated modern security practices with a focus on inclusivity and collaboration, marking an important step forward in how urban security challenges are addressed. Finally, it has promoted participation and co-production as core principles through all the process, while advocating gender as an essential transversal aspect in the urban security tools. IcARUS has ensured that security policies and tools are sensitive to the diverse experiences of men, women and non-binary individuals.
Potential impacts: The socio-economic impacts include strengthened community resilience, reduced costs associated with crime, and improved citizen well-being due to safer urban environments. Wider societal implications include enhanced public trust in LEAs, more inclusive security policies that will ultimately reflect the needs of diverse urban populations, and a model of sustainable collaboration that can be adopted in other EU initiatives aimed at improving public security. This improved relationship is likely to lead to more effective crime prevention strategies and greater community engagement in maintaining public safety. By embedding a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within LEAs and local authorities, IcARUS thus sets a new benchmark for human-centred security frameworks, with the potential to influence policy at both national and EU levels.
IcARUS ensured that the tools and approaches developed will continue to evolve, making a lasting impact on urban security practices.