Roos Akbar

Toward a Defensive Global City: Urban (In)security in an Age of Terror—The Case of Jakarta, Indonesia

Urban security is a major challenge for cities across the globe. The attack on the Twin Trade Towers in New York City in September 2001 marked the start of a developing terrorist presence that physically and mentally affects the security and spirit of cities as safe places. This chapter presents the concept of “urban defensive” strategies for global cities as a way to frame the issue of public security. Governments face the challenge of introducing a defensive concept into urban fabrics without simultaneously violating the vibrancy of urban life. While this challenge seems universal, some complexities of urban life in Western society are not matched in many cities in Southeast Asia. This chapter analyses these issues from the perspectives of planning and design, and discusses them in the context of Jakarta, Indonesia.