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This thesis investigates the presence of counter-terrorist security within the everyday life of cities. It emerges from, and contributes to, ongoing debates concerning the place of security in contemporary urbanism, and discussions regarding the increased saturation of urban spaces with a diverse range of security interventions. Drawing on this work, this thesis argues that in order to better understand the urban geographies of security, instead of exclusively conceiving security as only imposed on urban spaces, we must ask how processes of securing cities are ʻlivedʼ. In doing so this study responds to the lack of attention to the complex relations between processes of security and lived everyday urban life. This thesis explores the neglected everyday life of security through a case study of an emerging form of counter-terrorist security apparatus within cities in the UK, examining the broadening of the National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom and the continuing development of CONTEST, the United Kingdomʼs counter-terrorist strategy. Taking London as a named example, the study concentrates on the security interventions of two research sites, the Southbank and Bankside area of the South Bank, and the Victoria Line of the London Underground, to examine how security addresses the everyday life of the city and how such practices are experienced as part of lived everyday urban life. In sum, this thesis focuses, first, on the processes through which the everyday city is secured and, second, it draws attention to and describes how those processes of securing are encountered and enacted, as they become part of the everyday life of cities.

Urban neighbourhood renewal and regeneration have a long history in Western industrialised societies like Britain. The renewal or regeneration strategies, visions, approaches and implementations often reflect the particular political, economic, social and cultural contexts of each development period. There are abundant research literatures on the theoretical and practical elements of neighbourhood renewal/regeneration in the UK, which provide valuable references and lessons to the industrialising countries. In rapidly urbanising countries like China, traditional urban neighbourhoods are redeveloped at an unprecedented scale. Urban renewal and redevelopment projects have affected the life of a large number of urban residents. The renewal process, the mechanism and its social and economic effects were, however, understudied. This research aims to evaluate the evolution, achievements and problems of neighbourhood renewal process in Chinese cities, by following a cross-national approach. It reviews the evolution of urban renewal and regeneration theories and practice in Britain: the earliest industralised country in the world. Based on the findings, an analytical framework is established which is then used to examine and evaluate the recent urban redevelopment practice in Chinese cities. The research is based on both quantitative and qualitative data and information collected in the two countries through literature and policy reviews, fieldworks, key player interviews and a household survey in the two case study neighbourhoods: Shichahai and Jinyuchi in the inner city area of Beijing. The research found that the developments of British and Chinese neighbourhood renewal share a similar “zigzag” trajectory in which the renewal strategies focus either on economic or social objectives alternatively. Especially in recent years, urban renewal and regeneration challenges in Britain and China became more similar. Disadvantaged neighbourhoods in both countries face problems of multi-dimensional deprivation across the areas of housing, employment, education, healthcare, safety and others. This means that the British regeneration strategies and approaches could be more valuable to Chinese policy-makers and practitioners. In China, neighbourhood renewal projects always bear the influence from the West, but for the different national contexts, renewal iii projects in every period only targeted at one or several particular aspects of the “urban problems” at the time. The positive effects of renewal projects were often very limited while the negative impacts led to the emergence of unexpected new problems. Since 2000 some experimental renewal projects have a much wider remits than before, but they still focus on the “visible” problems only. The improvement of local housing condition and physical environment was very obvious and dramatic. The achievements were however cutback by the process of gentrification and population replacement. Although the new renewal mechanisms emphasised multi-sectoral cooperation, the operational and administrative structures were still far from the ideal partnership, particularly in relation to the rights of original residents. Based on the findings, a series of recommendations have been developed to improve the neighbourhood renewal practice in Chinese cities.

Public space is a component of our physical environment which has an important role in city life. This thesis is primarily about investigating public space and public realm in the historic city centre of Damascus in order to understand the potential for its improvement, and secondarily about recommending specific actions towards this. The research takes a qualitative approach focusing on public space as a ‘product’ which is the result of a process. In terms of the product, the nature, morphological and functional aspects of public spaces in Damascus are examined. The governance process is analysed at local level to define main actors, the rules they interact with and the rationalities they use to intervene in public space. This analysis includes locality-specific literature review and interviews with key informants. Such case study analysis is undertaken against the background of a survey of public space regeneration in selected cities around the Mediterranean. Public spaces in Damascus historically developed under strong endogenous social and cultural rules creating a hierarchy of ‘traditional’ spaces which supported public, parochial and private realms. In the contemporary period, these spaces have gone through modernisation in their governance process through introducing new actors and more formal rules, which have led to more ‘publicness’ and tension between tradition and modernisation. This has affected their nature as well as morphological and functional aspects. Analysis showed that strong centralised political and public sector control is found over the governance process through a top-down representative approach. Capacities, interests and perception of public spaces among actors, in addition to poor management, strict legislation and lack of qualified cadres, have all contributed to the continuing deteriorating situation of public spaces. Moreover, interventions for improvement occurred on a short-term basis and mainly to restore historical monuments and improve traffic. An integrated approach to upgrading open spaces is still needed on a long term basis, subject to the available financial resources, with wider governance arrangements and further collaboration and integration between different governmental bodies.

The research focuses on a new approach to the regeneration and revitalisation of the British city centre: the contribution of the development of residential repopulation to economic viability and social viability. This approach gained prominence following the government's recent policy statements, including the 2000 Urban White Paper, with a renewed emphasis being placed on encouraging people back to live in city centres to contribute to an 'urban renaissance'. Through surveys of residents in Swansea and Bristol city centres, this research examines the characteristics and views of city centre residents living in a variety of housing types. Particular groups appear suited to city centre life, such as the young and those employed locally. The most attractive housing is typically in single-use areas more distant from core retail and entertainment zones. It is argued that a process of 'residentialisation' rather than gentrification is operating in terms of residential development, and that new residents are 'pioneers' rather than gentrifiers. Perceived advantages of city centre life are convenience-based or lifestyle-based, and the main disadvantages are those of noise, traffic and crime. Use of the daytime city centre is frequent for all residents, but use of the night-time city is largely restricted to the young, partly because of fears experienced by other groups. This acts against the vision of a vibrant and inclusive twenty-four city. Claims for increased sustainability gain patchy support and new development is best viewed in terms of regeneration rather than sustainability. Urban regeneration is seen as underpinned by a vision of an 'urban idyll' which includes certain social groups while excluding others. Tensions exist between the promotion of a new idyll of urban living and the creation of a more inclusive society.

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Since the 1950s, towns and cities of the Less Developed Countries have been experiencing unprecedentedly high rates of population growth. The limited urban housing stock have not been able to cope with the demand for housing. The limited housing units become overcrowded, slums develop in central area of cities, and squatter settlements grow at the periphery. Many ideas such as slum clearance and public housing have been tried in improving the appalling housing situation, which affects mainly the low-income population in urban centres, but with no significant results. Contemporary housing ideas of sites-and-services and upgrading which became gradually accepted from the early 1970s are yet to have pronounced impact on the urban housing condition in Less Developed Countries. Despite the gradual but steady movement by governments of many Less Developed Countries towards sites-and-services and upgrading, public housing, with its high financial cost to the government and its many inadequacies to the low-income groups, continues to be the national housing approach in Nigeria. This thesis is an attempt to examine urban housing approaches in the Less Developed Countries since about the 1950s and, with reference to Nigeria, identify the current major issues in adequately providing housing for the majority of the urban population. Consideration is then given to posible approaches to tackling issues, particularly under the prevailing economic climate in Nigeria. Chapter one is a general introduction to the thesis and it also gives a brief background to the low-income people in Nigeria. Chapter two discusses the urban housing situation in Nigeria and examines various attempts at improving it, particularly with reference to the low-income people. Chapter three reviews the different housing ideas that have evolved over the years, from the 1950s, in Less Developed Countries in an attempt to find a solution to the urban housing problems. In an attempt to improve the situation of low-income peoples' housing in Less Developed Countries, many governments experiment with contemporary housing ideas of sites-and-services and upgrading. Chapter four examines some of the experiments. The experiments with recent ideas by some countries in chapter four show that despite the inherent advantages of sites-and-services and upgrading over previous housing ideas, such as public housing, some major issues are yet to be adequately addressed. Such issues are examined in chapter five. Chapter six is a general discussion on the current major isues identified in the thesis and consideration is then given to possible approaches to tackling them in Nigeria.

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