Image: “Piazza della Signoria” by Samuli Lintula – Own work. Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
TRANSIT focusses on tackling fear of crime and feelings of insecurity based on CPTED-principles
Description of the project
Urban life and the demands on urban spaces and residential areas in town and country are subject to a rapid and continuous change process, while building structures are built to last. Neighborhoods or residential areas are not always prepared for current safety and security requirements. This interdisciplinary joint partnership focuses on this discrepancy. Cities and urban spaces have to be prepared for safety and security requirements in the future.
Improvements in the design, planning and security of urban environments have resulted in significant reductions in crime rates. Across Europe, the application of CPTED principles is successfully preventing crime and anti-social behavior. Efforts are currently focused on tackling fear of crime and feeling of insecurity-which often persist, despite reductions in actual crime levels.
Interventions aim to improve quality of life for citizens and enhance urban resilience. To contribute effectively to these broader aims, research must provide insight into human behavior and the systems that develop, manage and govern urban environments.
Aims of the project
The project aims to develop transdisciplinary safety and security strategies concerning crime prevention for police, housing companies and municipality administration and to implement these aspects in the routine and daily work. Therefore theoretical aspects must be connected with practical experiences!
Prevention strategies are particularly successful if holistically created:
- Participation of all stakeholders
- Implementation in the daily work not as an additional approach
- Visibility of suitable approaches
Methods of the project
Based on transdisciplinary approaches, three case studies in specific urban areas will be carried out implementing various methods.
The project starts with a quantitative survey in the neighbourhoods concerning feelings of (in) security and fear of crime. The results will be compared with police crime data to identify differences in subjective an official perception of crime.
Housing companies also will be questioned about the significance and impact of crime prevention aspects.
Structured interviews will be conducted with local administrative bodies focusing on their experience regarding safety and security strategies and measurements.
The results are further validated through experiences of other cities and municipalities.
Besides surveys other methods are used. For example joint inspections and on-site observations are carried out with the stakeholders to define incivilities and antisocial behavior.
Finally training and continuing education measures will be conceived.
Proposal
Federal Ministery of Education and Research within the program “Research for Civil Security, announcement “Urban Security”
Duration of the Project
June 2013 -May 2016
Project partners
State CID of Lower Saxony, Criminological Research and Statstics, Hannover
German Institute of Urban Affairs, Berlin
F+B Research and Advice for Housing, Real Estate and Environment GmbH, Hamburg
Cooperation Partners
Lower Saxony Association of Towns and Municipalities;
Association of Housing and Real Estate Industry of Lower Saxony / Bremen
Police Academy of Lower Saxony,
City of Vienna – Office of the Magistrate
University of Salford -Design Against Crime Solution Centre
Politecnico di Milano – Laboratorio Qualitá urbane e Sicurezza
Contact
State CID of Lower Saxony (LKA NI)
Criminological Research and Statistics
Dr. Anke Schröder
Am Waterlooplatz 11
D-30169 Hannover
+49.(0).511.26262.6510 kfs@lka.polizei.niedersachsen.de
German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu)
Dr. Holger Floeting
Zimmerstr. 13-15
D-10969 Berlin
+49.(0).30.39001.221
http://www.transit-online.info
