Navigating Urban Turbulence: Participatory Approaches to Security Futures

In contemporary Europe, urban residents grapple with an unprecedented convergence of security challenges. The lingering effects of the pandemic, looming threats of war, and the escalating climate crisis intersect with rising nationalism, social polarization, housing crises, and economic instability. This multifaceted turbulence is reshaping the landscape of certainties and uncertainties in urban life, demanding novel approaches to understanding and addressing everyday security concerns. While research on vernacular security has gained traction, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of how urban residents navigate this compounded erosion of relative security and envision futures amidst such turbulence. This paper bridges this gap by presenting findings from a qualitative study involving 125 Hamburg residents, demonstrating how sociological futures research can engage broader publics. In ten participatory workshops conducted across diverse neighborhoods, residents collaboratively developed visions of a ‘secure city for all’. By integrating debates on vernacular security, futures studies, and the sociology of imagination, the paper examines how participatory methods can uncover nuanced perspectives on urban security and security futures. Key findings highlight urban residents’ capacity to reimagine security beyond traditional notions of exclusion and surveillance. Crucially, the study amplifies the voices of groups traditionally marginalized in security debates, including people with learning disabilities, the LGBTQI community, and migranticized individuals, thereby addressing critical questions of accessibility and representation in futures studies. By foregrounding citizen perspectives and employing participatory methodologies, this study not only advances theoretical debates in futures studies and vernacular security but also underscores the importance of inclusive methodologies in crafting resilient, secure urban futures that reflect the diverse needs and aspirations of all city dwellers.