Cities are continuously changing and evolving. Now that half the world’s total population is formed of urban dwellers, it seems that we are entering in a new phase which could be characterized mainly by the sprawling of urban areas, the regionalization of urbanization and increasing economic, social and spatial inequities. This context might have serious impacts on existing urban vulnerabilities to crime and violence as well as consequences for urban planning and the governance of safety. The three main pillars of the Safer Cities Programme have been based on these realities.