Jeremy Nemeth

Op-Ed: Don’t Close Times Square

Jeremy — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:50:06 +0000

Check out our editorial that has now appeared in the North Jersey Record, the Pocono Record, the San Marcos Record, and the Southeast Missourian.

While some might react to the recent NYC bombing attempt by encouraging a fortressing of Times Square, we argue that the safest spaces are those without barriers to access or mobility. In this recent case, it was precisely the numerous “eyes on the street” - particularly those of the street vendors and tourists - that discovered the smoking, explosive-laden SUV. If security officials decide to close down or limit public access to parts of Times Square, just as they did in Lower Manhattan after 9/11 (see here), disastrous consequences could follow.

Times Square events prompt popular coverage of security zones article

Jeremy — Thu, 06 May 2010 23:05:51 +0000

Partly due to recent interest in the Times Square terrorism case, my recent co-authored article on Security Zones in New York City’s public spaces has received coverage by several media outlets.

1. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/like-a-pigeon-on-a-train/

2. http://www.dnainfo.com/20100429/manhattan/lower-manhattan-loses-public-space-security-study-finds

3. http://www.metropolismag.com/pov/20090708/mapping-security

4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/f-kaid-benfield/village-green-security-me_b_244390.html

5. http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809119966

6. http://www.securityinfowatch.com/Public+Safety+Watch/1315359

New article published on security zones in New York City

Jeremy — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:07:26 +0000

A new piece co-authored with Justin Hollander at Tufts University appears in the current issue of the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research (Volume 34, Number 1: 20-34). In the article, we use a simple index to assess the presence and intensity of security zones - areas cordoned off or allowing only limited access for security purposes - in New York City. We find that approximately 27% of the city’s Financial and Civic Center districts is located within a security zone. This map shows limited areas in orange and closed areas in red. Click on individual security zones to view photos and scoring results for each.

The article is available here; for those without access please e-mail me at jeremy(dot)nemeth(at)ucdenver(dot)edu.

Nemeth article on public space management published in Urban Studies

Jeremy — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:06:07 +0000

My article detailing the results of empirical work on urban management in New York City appears in the current issue of Urban Studies. The article, “Defining a public: The management of privately owned public space” (Volume 46, No. 11, pp. 2463-2490) presents findings from 163 site visits to privately owned spaces in Manhattan. I find that while managers employ a number of techniques to control who uses their space (and how), the most dominant management approach is one that carefully selects and filters in an appropriate or desirable set of users. The article is available here; for those without access please e-mail me at jeremy(dot)nemeth(at)ucdenver(dot)edu.

Secure Cities website appears in popular blogs

Jeremy — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:10:15 +0000

The Secure Cities website got some recent press via an article by F. Kaid Benfield, Director of the Smart Growth program for the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in Washington, DC.

NRDC Switchboard article here (July 24, 2009)
Huffington Post article here (July 24, 2009)

Benfield founded both Smart Growth America and the LEED for neighborhood (LEED-ND) initiative, a program intended to certify superior neighborhood development projects. Readers of the planning and development website Planetizen voted Benfield the #41 “urban thinker” in their recent poll.

Planetizen picks up the Secure Cities launch

Jeremy — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:47:55 +0000

Planetizen highlights the Metropolis article about the securecities.com launch here.

Surrounded by security zones, government buildings fail to provide safe environment

Jeremy — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:46:05 +0000

This morning, media outlets (CNN, USA Today, Washington Post, ABC, others) discussed a recent exercise in which investigators successfully smuggled bomb-making materials into high-profile Federal buildings in various US cities. Also published today was a write-up in Metropolis about the prevalence of security zones in NYC, LA and SF. Such findings once again force planners, citizens, academics, and policy makers (including DHS) to question the real success of these security measures. Indeed, commentators such as Mike Davis, Stephen Graham, Peter Marcuse and Michael Sorkin not only question the success of such measures in protecting building occupants, but also contend that the “militarization” of the urban landscape actually increases perceptions of fear and distrust among local inhabitants. So as the presence of security zones increases (see Secure Cities website), might real and perceived security still be in decline?

Secure Cities spotlighted in Metropolis!

Jeremy — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:59:14 +0000

Metropolis magazine has written a piece about the Secure Cities website here.

Secure Cities (securecities.com) website navigation improved

Jeremy — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:20:38 +0000

We have improved the navigation on the Secure Cities website (securecities.com), allowing users to better visualize security in public spaces. Visitors can click on a city on the map to the left (New York City, Los Angeles or San Francisco), then choose either the Civic Center or Financial District in order to view the presence and intensity of security zones in each neighborhood. Clicking on an individual zone will also pull up several photos showing the various surveillance, policing or barricading techniques employed. This site allows researchers, planners and policy makers to better visualize the true extent of the fortification and militarization of public space in three US cities.

Secure Cities website goes live!

Jeremy — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:33:40 +0000

Head to securecities.com to see some current work on security zones and shrinking public space. The site details the impact of security zones on public space in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Data collected in each city’s Civic Center and Financial Districts are displayed on the site, which also contains a detailed description of the innovative research methodology.