doi: 978-981-08-6396-8_plenary6

Plenary Session 6 Transit Security, Safety & Risk Management
Title Transit Security and Public Safety: Practical Strategies for Design and Retrofit of Rail Transit Stations against Terrorist Threats
Speaker Ms Barbara A. Nadel
Fellow of the American Institute of Architects
Principal of Barbara Nadel Architect (BNA)
Chairperson Mr John Lim
Sr Director, Security Plans &Development, Homefront Security Division
Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore
Date/Time Friday, 22 October 2010 / 09:00
Venue Compass Central Ballroom

Ms Barbara A. Nadel, FAIA, Principal of Barbara Nadel Architect (BNA), is an award-winning architect, author, and journalist, specializing in building security, planning, programming, and design of civic infrastructure and institutional facilities. Her experience includes transportation, cultural, healthcare, justice, educational, and commercial development projects.

Since establishing BNA in 1992, Ms Nadel has worked with the world’s leading institutions, owners, design and construction professionals, and over 40 government agencies in the U.S. and internationally. Her accomplishments are multi-disciplinary, global, collaborative, and widely recognized.

Ms Nadel is editor-in-chief of Building Security: Handbook for Architectural Planning and Design (McGraw-Hill, 2004), for which she received the 2005 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Institute Honors for Collaborative Achievement and the 2003 Milka Bliznakov Prize from the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA), for creating this security resource.

She was 2001 AIA National Vice President, a two-term member of the AIA National Board of Directors, 2002 AIA Committee on Architecture for Justice Chair, and has held many professional leadership positions. In recognition of her many significant achievements, Ms. Nadel received the prestigious 2009 AIA Edward C. Kemper Award for service to the architectural profession.

Abstract
Terrorist attacks on transportation facilities and rail networks underscore the need to balance security and openness in a changing global society. As public buildings and critical infrastructure, transit facilities enhance daily commerce and the quality of life within the urban landscape. Service continuity and resiliency after an event is critical to operations and local economies. The new generation of 21st century transportation facilities will be a diverse range of high performance buildings that integrate security, sustainability, energy efficiency, and design excellence.

New and retrofitted rail transit stations must be able to protect people, assets, and data against terrorist threats, disasters, and crime. Governments and businesses want vibrant cities, safe and dependable transportation for their employees, and well designed buildings to attract commerce, tourism, growth, and investment. The challenge to those responsible for planning and design of transit facilities is to provide high levels of security while avoiding fortresslike structures and public spaces. Transparent security – which is unobtrusive and invisible to the public eye - can be achieved by integrating design, technology, and operations.

Transit station design must consider strategies to mitigate loss of life, collateral damage, and service interruption after an event. Threat, vulnerability, and risk assessments analyze the factors likely to impact security design and operations of stations and facilities. Attention to architectural, engineering, and landscape design elements and systems will enhance public safety. Innovative use of building materials, as well as glazing, lighting, air handling equipment locations, site perimeters, street furniture, and security technology are key components to building security design.

Conceptual programming, planning, and project design provides many opportunities to review capital and operational long-term security costs and potential savings through life cycle cost analysis. Risk management, liability, insurance concerns, and emergency management policies and procedures among all stakeholders are important factors to consider during transit facility design programs.

Keywords: Security, Terrorism attack, Transit station design.

FULL TEXT(PDF)