Security and global cities: Madrid, a new concept of security in the framework of the SDGs

Abstract

The concept of security has currently evolved towards concepts of individual protection of a humanistic nature, that is to say, security acquires two basic elements. On the one hand, a social concept of security, policies aimed at a group that we could relate to citizen security policies; and on the other hand, an individual concept of global protection of people against all elements that could endanger their integral development, which we would identify with human security. Demographic evolution provides increasingly convincing evidence that these global concepts are found in urban environments with global characteristics, and in these cases it is not possible to apply generalist policies of a state nature or cities with their own environmental demographic conditions and structures. The global security model must evolve and begin to look after citizen and human security in urban environments as a specific model of action. This global urban security determines a 21st century security intervention model, which is intrinsically related to the model of sustainable development objectives, many of which are aimed at achieving an environment of freedom and legal security. Therefore, we must move towards models of public policies on global security centralised on urban risks and implemented by the administrations closest to the citizen.