🏙️ Cities are the new battlegrounds of the 21st century

Written By John P. Sullivan

With 66% of the world's population expected to live in urban areas by 2054, cities are becoming central to conflicts ranging from organized crime to conventional warfare.

Key trends reshaping urban security:

🎯 Diverse threats: Criminal armed groups, cartels, and terrorist organizations are using sophisticated tactics like coordinated swarming attacks (Mumbai 2008, Westgate Mall 2013)

🤖 AI revolution: Artificial intelligence is transforming military intelligence and targeting through massive data processing from satellites, drones, and sensors - providing unprecedented situational awareness

🏢 Critical domains: Interior spaces, subterranean networks, and urban coastal areas are becoming decisive terrain for future operations

⚖️ Civilian protection: International humanitarian law and civilian harm mitigation are now strategic requirements, not afterthoughts

📚 Learning from history: WWII urban recovery lessons remain vital for planning post-conflict reconstruction in places like Ukraine

The future of global security will be determined by what happens in our cities. Military, law enforcement, and humanitarian sectors must adapt to this new reality where urban conflict is the norm, not the exception.

📖 These insights come from "Urban Operations: War, Crime, and Conflict" - a groundbreaking new book edited by @JohnSullivan, @NathanJones, and @DanielWeisz. They've curated cutting-edge research from the world's leading experts including @DavidKilcullen, @AmosFox, @NadavMorag, and @RussGlenn.

Get your copy and dive deeper into the future of urban security: https://www.amazon.com/Urban-Operations-War-Crime-Conflict/dp/B0DDZPD5PG

#UrbanOperations #UrbanSecurity #FutureofConflict #NationalSecurity #MilitaryStrategy

John P. Sullivan

Dr. John P. Sullivan retired as a lieutenant with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. He is an Instructor in the Safe Communities Institute, University of Southern California. He has a PhD from the Open University of Catalonia, an MA from the New School for Social Research, and a BA from the College of William and Mary. He received a lifetime achievement award from the National Fusion Center Association in November 2018 for his contributions to the national network of fusion centers. He is an instructor in the 40th Infantry Division Urban Warfare Planners Course and a Member of the Urban Violence Research Network (UVRN) and the Network of Experts at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC).

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-sullivan-1523641/
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