Research
In astronomy, a black hole is a “cosmic body with gravity so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape.” Recently, the term has also found its way into international security parlance, where it is used to refer to a zone where state power has collapsed. Black holes are usually thought of as rather remote areas, geographically far removed from
national seats of power. Notorious examples are the Pakistani region of Waziristan and the tri-border area of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. However, as the segment of the world population that lives in cities keeps growing, the security threats posed by urban black holes are growing as well.
This Issue Brief shows how urbanization can set in motion a social dynamic that will severely undermine state control over urban areas. It also highlights some examples to show that this development is already underway.
To read the complete report see the PDF on the right
