A Toronto Case Study of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation
Advisor Information
Angela Eikenberry
Location
MBSC 201
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
6-3-2020 12:30 PM
End Date
6-3-2020 1:45 PM
Abstract
In April 2018, a terrorist drove a van into pedestrians congregated at a busy traffic intersection in Toronto, Ontario, Canada—killing 10 and injuring 16 others. Although not an entirely new phenomenon, Vehicles as a Weapon (VAW) attacks are on the rise globally in part because of the rudimentary technique, simplicity, cost-effectiveness, the difficulty in stopping a VAW attack once it is in progress, and the consequential effects on civilian lives. This research examines how Toronto is responding to the threat of VAW incidents and how the city is balancing security concerns with urban livability considerations in their approach to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM). Drawn from a series of in-depth interviews with public officials in Toronto working on HVM, this research finds that Toronto has been the locus of several innovative approaches to balancing urban livability and counter-terrorism design. Finally, this research discusses the implications of lessons learned in Toronto for other cities in North America working to prevent VAW incidents.
A Toronto Case Study of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation
MBSC 201
In April 2018, a terrorist drove a van into pedestrians congregated at a busy traffic intersection in Toronto, Ontario, Canada—killing 10 and injuring 16 others. Although not an entirely new phenomenon, Vehicles as a Weapon (VAW) attacks are on the rise globally in part because of the rudimentary technique, simplicity, cost-effectiveness, the difficulty in stopping a VAW attack once it is in progress, and the consequential effects on civilian lives. This research examines how Toronto is responding to the threat of VAW incidents and how the city is balancing security concerns with urban livability considerations in their approach to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM). Drawn from a series of in-depth interviews with public officials in Toronto working on HVM, this research finds that Toronto has been the locus of several innovative approaches to balancing urban livability and counter-terrorism design. Finally, this research discusses the implications of lessons learned in Toronto for other cities in North America working to prevent VAW incidents.