ABSTRACT
The city is often regarded as a dystopia. The city never sleeps. There is constant movement in the streets. Glaring lights shine everywhere. Tall buildings loom like taut sails in the wind. The city dizzies people, disorientates and hypnotises them. This is how Fritz Lang, the maker of the 1927 movie Metropolis, depicted the city of 2026. Now, almost a century after the film’s creation, the city is actually associated with many positive things. Cities provide spaces for innovation, recreation, greening, sustainability and creativity. And yet studies on cities also present a gloomier picture. Cities are afflicted by structural issues such as poverty, social inequality, unemployment and inadequate housing. These issues are detrimental to the quality of life and safety in cities. After all, the wealthier and more spacious cities are, the less safety is an issue for them.
