WP250 Securitizing public space: A study of Kings Cross Station and Square

This paper considers the role of contemporary securitization in the production of public spaces in London through a study of King’s Cross Station and Square. It critically examines the security strategies in King’s Cross Station and Square and the effect they have on people?s ability to access, use and transform this space. I adopt Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space to deconstruct the formal and informal processes that shape the everyday reality of the station and square, and conclude by reflecting on whether security concerns and perceived risks constrain the possibilities for meaningfully producing and reproducing public space.