Policy Hub
On 19 December 2006, the Centre for Social and Community Research (CSCR), Murdoch University, Western Australia published a report (Promoting safer communities through physical design, social inclusion and crime prevention through environmental design: a developmental study).
This project examined the City of Gosnells Safecity Urban Design Strategy in terms of its current effectiveness in reducing the opportunity for crime to occur and to reduce the fear of crime for residents and other community members. In order to undertake this study the project has aimed to identify some factors that can contribute to making a town/city safe for all members of the community.
The project also examined the policy context and implementation procedures pertinent to the Safecity Urban Design Strategy to ensure that such crime prevention strategies are coordinated, coherent, draw on all levels of government, the community and the business sector and importantly enjoy legal status.
The report draws on international current research on situational crime prevention or prevention through environmental design. It highlighted several factors that assist with making a town or city safe according community members, including accessible neighbourhoods, community connection and aesthetics and maintenance. Importantly, the study also found some factors that impact on the community’s perception of crime and safety and that there is a scarcity of information for residents and community members regarding the relationship between criminal offending and urban design.
Finally, the study provided some points of discussion on some of the consequences of the Safecity Urban Design Strategy, and on the disparity between the analyses of reported crimes against the community’s perception of crime and safety.
The full report can be viewed on the Murdoch University website