A series of case studies was commissioned by UN-Habitat specifically for this Global Report on each of the three threats to urban safety and security addressed in the report (i.e. crime and violence, insecurity of tenure and forced evictions, and natural and human-made disasters). For each of these threats – covered in Parts II, III and IV of the report, respectively – case studies illustrate empirical conditions and trends; as well as effective policy responses. An attempt has been made to ensure adequate coverage of all of the world’s geographic regions.

A total of 24 case studies can be found below. Many of the illustrative boxes contained in the different chapters of Enhancing Urban Safety and Security are based on these case studies, while some of the experiences described in the case studies – including related empirical evidence – are also directly integrated within the text of the chapters of the report.

A typical illustrative box in Enhancing Urban Safety and Security uses only a portion of the full case study, so that the ‘full story’ of the experience on which the box is based may not be apparent to the reader. Part V of the report contains summaries of the cases studies to provide the reader with a fuller picture of the experiences described in the illustrative boxes, including the geographical and socio-economic context of the case; the full scope of the experience described; and the main conclusions or lessons from the case.