In the UK the authorities have tended to adopt a hostile and defensive architectural response to crime and anti-social behaviour: the erection of thousands of CCTV cameras, provision of gated communities and, most recently, the use of metal spikes in the streets. But in Scandinavia, despite higher rates of homicide and assaults than the UK, according to OECD figures, this approach has been rejected in favour of a softer option. The results can be seen in developments like the one in the southern harbour area of Copenhagen, Sluseholmen – once a working-class dock – which has been regenerated around a canal system in a deliberate copy of Amsterdam. Low-rise modern flats with large windows and private balconies or gardens have been built around inner courtyards. Fences are replaced with glass and perspex, encouraging light to bounce off the surfaces, and increasing visibility of the families looking out on to the square and neighbours looking in. The aim is to use the natural surveillance of the residents as a powerful form of crime prevention. theguardian/cities/2014/jun/24/designing-out-crime-scandinavia-copenhagen-cities-safe-exciting
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 13:27:32 +0000
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