Fear and Safety in Public Spaces

1
Fear and Safety in Public Spaces
Kristen Day, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department
of Planning, Policy, and Design University of
California, Irvine
2
Crime safety in the US

• Consider actual crime and fear of crime
• Can have fear
• problem without
• crime problem

Photo http//www.cpted-watch.com/
3
Crime down in US since 1994

• Violent crime down 58
• - From 714 to 466 victimizations/ 100,000 people
• Property crime down 52
• - From 4660 to 3,517 crimes/ 100,000 people

Source 2004 FBI Uniform Crime report.
4
Minnesota crime trends

• Crime down
• since 1994
• - Up slightly in 2004
• MN rates are less than US average
• - 270 violent crimes/100,000 people
• - 3,039 property crimes/100,000 people

Neighborhood watch patrol
Source 2004 FBI Uniform Crime report. Photo
minnesota.publicradio.org
5
Fear of crime

• 38 of people fear walking alone at night in
  own neighborhood in US
• 19 of men
• 47 of women
• stays same,
• though crime drops
• Crime is localized fear is widespread

Source Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
Online, Table 2.37, 2005 Photo
www.Rikoksentorjuntanneuvosta.
6
Who is affected?

• Violent crime is highest among low income,
  minority (black, Hispanic), young (lt age 25),
  men, urban residents
• Men victims by strangers
• Women victims by non-strangers

Sources Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin,
September 2006, NCJ 214644.
7

• Fear is highest among elderly women, black
  Hispanic people
• Who fears walking alone in own
• neighborhood at night?
• - 41 non-white adults, 30 white adults
• - 47 women, 19 men

Sources Bureau of Justice Statistics
Sourcebook, 2002 Gordon, S. Riger, M. (1989).
The female fear, New York Free Press.
8
Crimes in Public Places

• Crime not distributed evenly
• - In hot spots
• Hot spots
• High concentration of potential offenders
• Easy access
• Concentration of criminal targets
• Few guardians or controllers
• Hot spots are 1st target for planning, design

9

• Public spaces/public crime disorder
• Parks, outdoors areas
• - Sexual assaults, robberies, drug
  dealing,graffiti, vagrancy
• Parking lots
• Theft of/from cars, robbery, sexual assault
• Transit stations
• Personal, property crime at station, nearby
• Entertainment areas (bars, stadia, etc.)
• Assaults, pickpockets, property crimes
• Shopping centers
• Shoplifting, public disorder (disorderly conduct,
  vagrancy, drugs, gang activity, etc.)

10
Fear in Public Places

• (1) Low prospect
• (2) High refuge
• (3) High boundedness

11

• Prospect
• Low () High ()

12

• Refuge
• High () Low ()

13

• Boundedness
• High () Low ()

14
Social and Physical Incivilities
Photos www.bewareofthedogma.com/
www.photo.net/.../homeless-in-washington-dc-13
www.illegaleconomy.com/prostitution/prostitut...
15

• Also, consider
• places where people
• fear hassling or
• harassment
• - Of women
• - Of people of color
• - Of gays/lesbians/transgenders
• Includes specific cities, neighborhoods, public
  spaces, wilderness spaces

Photo www.streetharassmentproject.org
16
Impacts of crime, fear on health

• Violence, homicide
• Stress
• Reduced physical activity
• - Groups with highest
• fear highest obesity
• rates, low physical
• activity
• Isolation, poor quality of life

Photo news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk/3044625.stm.
17
Impacts on communities

• Impacts hard to disentangle
• Can include fear, distrust, neglect, limited
  involvement, low sense of community

Limits community development, investment
Photo vzaliva.livejournal.com/tag/photo.
18
Design for safety

• History
• Jane Jacobs Eyes on the street
• Oscar Newman Defensible space
• James Q. Wilson George Kelling Broken windows
  theory
• C. Ray Jeffrey Crime prevention through
  environmental design (CPTED)

19
Different approaches

• CPTED criminology focus
• - Keep criminals out
• Safescape
• urban planning focus
• Public safety
• Promote sense of
• community

Photos www.planning.org www.amazon.com
20
Safescape principles

• Address fear and crime
• Principles
• (1) Seeing and being seen
• (2) Socializing and interaction
• (3) Stewardship and ownership
• (4) Information and orientation

Zelinka, A. Brennan, D. (2001). Safescape.
Creating safer, more livable communities through
planning and design. Chicago American Planning
Association.
21
(1) Seeing and being seen

• People act responsibly when can be seen by
  others
• We feel safer when can clearly see surroundings

22

• Allow clear views
• Consider sight lines
• - Windows, landscaping, street walls
• Few hiding spaces
• Security cameras are not a substitute for
  natural surveillance

Photos www.efn.org/hkrieger/mallaise.htm
crimeprevention.rutgers.edu/.../cart_block.htm
www1.br.cc.va.us/murray/research/cpted/role_o
www.just-tenerife.com/resorts/garachico.htm
www.lileks.com/mpls/modern/commercial/54th.html
23

• Appropriate lighting
• Exterior of buildings well lit
• - Especially rear areas
• Special treatment for pedestrian areas

Photos www.shuionland.com/sol/tabid/249/Default.
aspx mediaroom.visitpa.com/ imageGallery.aspx?fil
e_ www.ci.lynnwood.wa.us/Content/Business.aspx?i
d58
24

• Activity generators
• Accessory uses
• eyes on the street
• - Ground floor retail
• Outdoor dining
• Public spaces
• Support for pedestrians

Photos www.schaperpaint.com/clients.html
www.nwt.org/gcsnapshots8.htm www.alamedainfo.com/
linoaks_motel_alameda.htm www.twincitiesdininggui
de.com/
25
(2) Socializing and interaction

• Environments often isolate us
• Design, planning can encourage interaction,
  socializing, looking out for others
• Reduces fear

26

• Mixed uses
• Different uses in walking distance
• - Lively on weekends, evenings
• Activity generators
• - Post office, police station, court houses, some
  types of retail

Photos you-are-here.com/building/printers.html
www.smith.mn/journal/journal2.html
27

• Vibrant public realm
• Support interaction
• with strangers
• Public art, music,
• programming, support
• for kids, dogs
• Encourage spending time
• Farmers markets,
• outdoor dining,
• plazas,
• vendors,
• outdoor
• seating

Photos www.greatamericandowntown.org/downtown_di
rect www.invisible5.org/index.php?pagepress
www.mystclair.com/ private/oldsite/gal_1.html
28

• Activated alleys and lively sidewalks
• Alleys, rear of buildings lifeless
• Make these spaces lively, well-maintained
• Sidewalk are movement predictors
• Dont isolate from
• cars, link to activities

Photoschesnes.com/seattle.html
www.flickr.com/photos/laor/page8/
www.sanbrunobart.com/.../Large/00060906.shtml
29
(3) Stewardship and ownership

Maintain, protect environment Others will
respect it
30

• Hierarchy of spaces
• Clear differentiation
• public/semi-public/semi-private/private
• - Tells people where they belong
• - Heightens stewardship

Photos www.barnabasproject.org.uk/page.cfm?pagei
dbp www.aallnet.org/events/local01/shopeat.htm
www.ia-bednbreakfast-inns.com/auntieanns.htm
31

• High quality environment
• Few amenities shows lack of ownership, pride
• - Deferred maintenance, obsolete infrastructure,
  few services
• High quality environment promotes feeling safe

Photos www.deborahbrownfineart.com/public_art_in
stal www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,109861,
00.asp www.storm3000.com/2005day8.html
32

• Discourage graffiti
• Minimize blank walls
• Public art
• Strategic landscaping
• Graffiti abatement and removal program

Photos ktwu.washburn.edu/.../sj2003/sj1608.html
home.powertech.no/vifo/sksk/skibotn/
33
(4) Information and orientation

• Need to know where you are, where you are
  going, what to avoid, to reduce fear
• Wayfinding information can increase comfort,
  feeling safe

34

• Landmarks
• Know where you are
• From far away and nearby
• Consider landmarks for drivers, walkers

Photos http//www.ripbang.com/RBA/portfolio/dr_ci
tiwalk.html www.fredonia.edu/prweb/releases/
clocktower.htm www.cadencialatina.com/.../webs/ch
icago.htm
35

• Signage
• Sufficient in
• Uncluttered in appearance

Photos www.airport-technology.com/contractors/ba
ggag www.jrcdesign.com/environmental/wayfinding2
.html www.commuterpage.com/PikeRide/bus_stops.htm
36

• Other orientation aides
• Hierarchy of entrances
• Directories
• Pavement markings
• Informed pedestrians have sense of direction,
  self-confidence
• - Deters crime

Photos unit501.tripod.com/lbc/2006 /index.htm
www.planning.dot.gov/ .../domscan603.htm
www.lancastercampaign.org/ .../dd_wayfinding.htm
37
Lessons for planning

• Cant ignore deeper factors that create crime
• Crime, fear prevention goes along with
  economic, community development
• - Jobs, affordable housing, quality schools

38
Resources

• Publications
• Crowe, T. NCPI (2000). Crime prevention
  through environmental design. 2nd Ed. Boston
  Butterworth-Heinemann.
• Colquhoun, I. (2004). Design out crime
  Creating safe and sustainable communities.
  Burlington, MA Architectural Press.
• National Crime Prevention Council. (1997).
  Designing safer communities A CPTED handbook.
  1/800/NCPC-911.

39
Publications (continued)

• Taylor, R.B. Harrell, A. V. (1996). Physical
  environment and crime. Washington, D.C.
  National Institute of Justice.
• Wekerle, G. R. Whitzman, C. (1995). Safe
  cities. Guidelines for planning, design, and
  management. NY Van Nostrand Reinhold.
• Zelinka, A. Brennan, D. (2001). Safescape.
  Creating safer, more livable communities through
  planning and design. Chicago American Planning
  Association.

40

• Organizations Websites
• The International CPTED Association (ICA).
  International membership organization, CPTED
  resource listings. http//www.cpted.net/home.html
• Secured by Design. Official UK police website
  for security and designing out crime.
  http//www.securedbydesign.com/
• National Crime Prevention Council. CPTED
  training, publications. http//www.ncpc.org/traini
  ng/CPTED.php
• APA Safe Growth checklist.
• www.planning.org