Defensive urban architecture is everywhere – if you know what you’re looking for. Specially designed window ledges, park benches and streetlights aim to influence behaviour in public spaces, but at what cost? And do these unpleasant creations unfairly target some people more than others?

With crime widely perceived as on the rise in the UK, authorities are attempting to take action and prevent theft by triggering ‘reputational concerns’ in a bid to tug at our sense of decency.

RedZone is aiming to reduce crime and improve the safety of users across the globe by combining crime information and navigation into a single app. In addition to flagging areas with high felony rates – or 'redzones' – it can suggest safer routes that should keep users out of harm’s way.

Following a high profile accusation that an Uber driver raped a woman in Delhi, the city's police plans to launch an ambitious drone-based surveillance project in 2015. While drones with night vision cameras might improve safety, will residents have privacy concerns?