Governing security in public spaces

Security governance has long been undertaken by a number of authorities beyond the state — both in global and local contexts (Wood and Shearing 2007). ¹ Many societies have witnessed the rise of multiple sovereignties or new sites of authority, in which a multiplicity of non-state auspices and providers of security operate in networked arrangements (Loader and Sparks 2002). In light of these developments, this chapter explores a system of polycentric security governance — Improvement Districts (IDs) in South Africa — to shed light on the functioning of these systems with respect to the main security auspices and a mapping of their mentalities (ways of thinking), technologies (tools or methods of governing), resources and power. The chapter also investigates how the challenges of public urban space management have facilitated the development of this polycentric system, which in turn has shaped the regulation of public urban space.