Academy of Architecture for Justice

Susan Oldroyd, FAIA, is going to present a session titled "Safe Public Spaces: Encouraging Positive Social Behaviors Through Design" on November 6, 2014 at 3:10 PM CDT. Don't miss it!!

When we talk about security, what often come to mind would be the expensive ballistic resistant glazing, weapon screening, or security cameras. There are, however, other ways to prevent crimes through the proper environmental design. The following references would be discussed with various case studies in this session:

The first reference is the CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design), with four main elements to be considered - Access Control, Surveillance, Territorial Reinforcement, and Maintenance. For Access Control, it is about the clear indication at the transition from public to semi-private and private areas. The Surveillance principle maximizes the visibility of people and areas. The Territorial Reinforcement principle deters crimes by displaying signs of ownership. The Maintenance principle  encourages proper upkeep of the places, making them inhospitable to the criminals. 

The second reference is the New Zealand National Guidelines for Crime Prevention. The seven key elements of the safe environment are: Access (Safe Movement and Connections); Surveillance and Sightlines;  Clear and Logical Layout; Activity Mix (Eyes on the Street); Sense of Ownership; Quality Environments; and Physical Protection. 

The above information provided by:
http://www.ncpc.org/resources/files/pdf/training/Best%20Practices%20in%20CPTED%20-2.pdf
and
http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/global-publications/n/national-guidelines-for-crime-prevention-through-environmental-design-in-nz

It would be interesting to see how the above principles get implemented in the justice facilities.


Photo below courtesy of Susan Oldroyd Architect