reporting of emergencies

A participatory security project based on collaboration between citizens

Promoting and managing participatory security through formulas and methods of mutual attention, favouring social cohesion and solidarity is the aim of the DoNotFear Project.

The adhering citizen will pay attention to what is happening in his neighbourhood and cooperate with the Police Force by reporting unusual situations or suspicious behaviour. They will be called upon to cooperate with their neighbours by behaving in a mutually caring manner, creating a communication channel to exchange information and passing it on to the group contact person.

safety in means of transport

Although the crime rate in Europe is very low, passengers feel insecure and dangerous. Many users, mostly women and the elderly, often refrain from using buses, subways, or trams for fear of becoming victims of aggression.

The result is that this impression of insecurity limits the widespread use of public transport.

The fear of aggression stems mainly from the feeling of being isolated and at the mercy of strangers. In large cities, interactions with strangers are becoming less and less frequent, leading to a feeling of isolation and a lack of trust in others. The main recommendation of the safety authorities is to talk and interact with others in transport, so as to be able to ask for help if necessary. However, users often do not feel comfortable with direct interpersonal interaction but prefer online communication via smartphones.

efficient security management

WiseTown Situation Room is the basis of the DoNotFear app, which captures real-time passenger reports for the transport company to view and pass on to security staff inside the vehicles.

Some functionalities of the app:

Account configuration
SOSsection – Self help section
PleaseJoin Me / Can I join you

Innovative character of the application

The application stimulates social cohesion and solidarity among public transport users.
For the transport company, it is a real-time analysis and monitoring tool to be able to intervene in case of need and to improve the service.
It allows for solidarity and a feeling of mutual support and helps passengers without having to interact interpersonally with each other.

“WiseTown, and especially its output the “Heatmaps”, is very valuable for smart city solutions since they show additional realities. For this reason maybe we can call them problems and challenges city planners and officials can address. In our case it helped us to outline the map of perceived insecurity. In order to shape the cities of the futures this information is extremely valuable. With this we can create comfortable and save spaces in the public environment for all.”

Martin Thomas Schlecht, TU Berlin

report fears or critical situations that need help

building a supportive community for passengers

knowing whether other people are in a dangerous situation

requesting help from the transport company

Project realised in cooperation with TU Berlin, Crowdee and Nexsus

TU Berlin is one of the largest universities in Germany. With around 32,000 students, a course portfolio of around 100 courses and 40 institutes, the historic Technische Universität Berlin is one of the largest and most internationally renowned technical universities. It is located in the German capital, in the centre of Europe, and consists of seven faculties whose subjects range from technical and natural sciences to planning, economics, social sciences and humanities. It offers around 40 bachelor’s degree programmes and 60 postgraduate courses and is the only one in the region that also includes engineering education.

Crowdee is a platform for scientific research, conducting periodic surveys and user tests, categorising activities and fielding knowledge calls. Developed by the Department of Quality and Usability of the Technical University of Berlin, it is the result of 6 years of studies to understand the behaviour patterns of online workers and commuters, carried out through software development and artificial intelligence experts.

The Nexsus Institute for Management Cooperation and Interdisciplinary Research was founded in 1999 by the Centre for Technology and Society at the Technical University of Berlin. For years Nexsus has been working on mobility, community spaces, demographic society and civil society, globalisation and the identity of governments, knowledge and organisational culture. The main research topics thus concern the interaction between social processes (demographic trends, migration routes), planning (urban development, climate change) and infrastructure (mobility and energy).

a sustainability project

The project aims to contribute to the achievement of the following Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, defined and promoted by the United Nations:

SDG 5.Achieving gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls

Gender Equality

Goal 5 supports equal opportunities between men and women in economic life, the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls, the elimination of early and forced marriages, and equal participation at all levels.
The diffusion of smart and integrated management of citizens’ security facilitates gender equality at all levels and ensures participation of all in social life, where the collaboration of citizens formulates ways of mutual attention and fosters social cohesion and solidarity. Consequently, citizens’ support for the construction of safe public spaces facilitates widespread protection of women and girls in many areas.

CONTRIBUTES TO THE FOLLOWING SUB-GOALS

5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls worldwide
5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
5.b: Enhance the use of technology, particularly information and communication technology, to promote the empowerment of women
5.c: Adopt and strengthen policies and applicable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.

SDG 11. Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, durable and sustainable

Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, durable and sustainable

Global urbanisation is one of the most significant developments of the 21st century. More than half of the world’s population lives in cities, a percentage that is expected to increase to 70% by 2050. It is cities that drive local and national economies, as centres of prosperity where more than 80% of global economic activity is concentrated.
New technologies make it possible to build a network to monitor mobility and people flows, to ensure safe and integrated coordination of cities during times of conviviality and cohesion. The benefits are numerous: they affect the economic apparatus of the territory, helping to provide access to safe, accessible transport systems; they achieve integrated and sustainable urbanisation, providing universal access to safe public spaces; they enhance understanding of cultural heritage.

CONTRIBUTES TO THE FOLLOWING SUB-GOALS:

11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all, improve road safety, in particular by expanding public transport, with particular attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly
11.3: By 2030, improve inclusive and sustainable urbanisation and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries
11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green and public spaces, particularly for women and children, older people and people with disabilities
11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage

SDG 13. Promoting action at all levels to combat climate change

Climate action

Climate change is a key challenge for sustainable development. Global warming is causing changes in the global climate system that threaten the survival of large segments of the population in less developed countries, while infrastructure and some economic sectors are vulnerable to the risks of climate change, particularly in developed regions.

Smart and coordinated city management enables the public sector to facilitate widespread environmental awareness and education, building institutional capacity over time for sustainable climate change mitigation, impact reduction, early warning and efficient response strategies and planning.

CONTRIBUTES TO THE FOLLOWING SUB-OBJECTIVES

13.1: strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related risks and natural disasters in all countries
13.2: integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
13.3: improve education, awareness and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

SDG 16. Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions

Civic technologies

It is clear that without a peaceful and inclusive community and effective governance, development cannot be sustainable. To ensure that societies are peaceful and inclusive, Goal 16 also aims to promote inclusive institutions and the rule of law, and to ensure equal access to justice.

Innovative technologies help institutions and organising bodies to support citizens in their many moments of conviviality and social life, making their work transparent and thus ensuring inclusiveness and peace of mind. Involving the inhabitants of a city horizontally in decisions and in the organisation of convivial moments reduces distortions in information and develops participatory governance.

CONTRIBUTES TO THE FOLLOWING SUB-GOALS:

16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels
16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels
16.8: Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in global governance institutions
16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.

Find out more about the product used

Management
reports

Issue Manager is a system for collecting and managing reports from citizens.

Find out more

Real Time
Monitoring

Situation Room monitors emergency situations or city events in real time