What are some urban design techniques to promote safety in a city?

This basically goes back to Jane Jacobs talking about ‘eyes on the street’. The scale of the buildings with respect to the street and the resultant urban form govern whether people can effectively engage with the streetscape. Dead facades, tall buildings, narrow dark streets, motorist friendly roads tend to hamper public engagement. Builtform which is more suited to human scale, pedestrian friendly street design, adequate light and shade tend to contribute towards active and safe streets.

Enhancing safety in urban design requires a multifaceted approach that prioritizes both physical and social elements of the built environment. Incorporating Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, such as enhancing visibility, fostering social interaction, and creating well-lit public spaces, can significantly deter criminal activity and promote a sense of security. Additionally, thoughtful urban planning strategies, including mixed-use developments, pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, and vibrant community hubs, encourage active participation and surveillance, further bolstering safety.

Street Lighting: Technique: Install adequate and well-designed street lighting to enhance visibility and deter criminal activity. Example: The installation of LED streetlights along pedestrian pathways in urban parks, such as Central Park in New York City, has improved safety for park users during nighttime hours. Natural Surveillance: Technique: Design buildings and public spaces with windows, balconies, and active frontages that overlook streets and public areas, increasing natural surveillance. Example: The design of mixed-use developments like The Pearl District in Portland, Oregon, incorporates ground-level retail spaces with large windows that allow for natural surveillance of sidewalks and public plazas.

Cities will always have residual areas where insecurity may arise, whether due to constructions, last-minute jobs, changes in roads, or broken pipes. However, it is important to consider the city as a whole, especially when using technology and urban tools to transform those dangerous spaces into elements that improve the visual environment and urban equipment, combined with the furniture used in cities. Turning shady spaces into friendly spaces can be a challenge, but with positive results that will always benefit any city. Each space must be thought out and designed in harmony with its surroundings to achieve urban elements that integrate into the city.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles are deeply integrated into my approach to urban planning and design, emphasizing not just the aesthetics but the functionality of spaces in reducing crime. My experience has shown that thoughtful application of CPTED can transform neighborhoods and enhance community well-being. For example, in a recent urban renewal project, we focused on revitalizing a neglected park that had become a hotspot for vandalism and illicit activities. By applying CPTED strategies, such as improving lighting, creating clear sightlines by pruning overgrown vegetation, and introducing community-led activities, we witnessed a significant decline in negative behaviors.

Clear Sightlines: Maintain clear sightlines by minimizing visual obstructions such as dense vegetation, signage clutter, &tall fences, which can provide hiding spots for crime Example: The redesign of Bryant Park in New York City removed overgrown shrubs a placed benches to improve sightlines, increasing visibility and reducing opportunities for crime. Safe Passage Routes: Technique: Design safe passage routes with well-defined pathways, clear signage, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure to guide users safely through urban areas. Example: The development of the High Line Park in NY transformed an abandoned railway into a linear park with designated walking paths, lighting, and signage, providing a safe and scenic route for pedestrians.

Whilst these principles make sense and appears to be effective, we have yet to document the implemented outputs in real-life and device an evaluation method to assess the efficacy of the CPTED principles. The similar situation goes to Defensible Space principles and most of all other urban theories.

Having spent most of my career designing metros and other forms of public transport I like to think I have played my part in attracting cars off the street and contributing to climate change in a positive way whilst improving urban life. But the best thing we can do for the planet is to travel less, buy, less consume less. Working from home and shopping locally from shops which are a stocked locally will help fight climate change

In Chicago, many intersections have added left turn traffic calming devices as part of the city's Vision Zero goals to eliminate pedestrian deaths. To implement, larger speed bumps and bollards are added along the center line near a crosswalk, forcing a slower, 90-degree angle turns to prevent drivers from making faster turns at a smaller angle that cut across the oncoming traffic lanes. Some drivers complained that this intervention causes traffic to go even slower, but that's precisely the point of this. Less hectic traffic encourages walking more around the neighborhoods.

colour in the urban streetscape, visually informing people as they meander the dangers and boundaries that determine use. Natural barriers to also bolster this

There's much we can learn from history. In my linkedin profile there's an article I wrote for Citizen magazine envisaging how Tiberius the Roman Emperor reappeared in any Eurpopean city 2,000 years after his death. He would recognise similar people, we are a bit taller, some of us fitter with arguably better healthcare, but we still have the same emotions, thoughts, anxieties hope and fears, get ill and die of the same causes. The reason we still like Tiberius's Italian cities and flock to Europe on holiday is because we love the urban spaces we feel comfortable in the squares and streets, they were designed for people and the proportions make us feel safe and comfortable.

In the words of renowned city planner Jane Jacobs, 'Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.' Embracing this ethos, urban design techniques must prioritize inclusivity and safety for all residents. Universal design principles offer a foundation for creating accessible and secure urban environments. Incorporating user-centered design, flexible layouts, clear signage, ample lighting, and green spaces to ensure inclusivity and safety in urban environments. As we design cities for the future, let us remember that true progress lies in our ability to create spaces that embrace everyone, regardless of age, ability, or background.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED): Technique: Implement CPTED principles, such as controlling access points, enhancing natural surveillance, and creating territorial reinforcement, to reduce opportunities for crime. Example: The revitalization of Pioneer Square in Seattle, Washington, incorporated CPTED strategies such as improved lighting, increased police presence, and community engagement to reduce crime and improve safety in the neighborhood. Community Spaces: Technique: Design vibrant community spaces, such as plazas, parks, and playgrounds, that encourage social interaction and increase the presence of people in public areas. Example: The redevelopment of Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois,

Lighting is important for visual access and safety. Areas zoned for mixed-use that are in use and inhabited at all hours are generally safer than purely-residential areas, parks at night, huge expanses of parking lots with minimal human activity, or roads that disregard pedestrians. In case this kind of zoning is unavoidable, lighting can play a major role in making the city safer.

Implementing strategic lighting throughout a city could be crucial urban design technique to enhance safety. Well-lit streets, parks, and public spaces not only deter crime by increasing visibility but also encourage people to use these areas during evening and night hours, contributing to a livelier and more secure urban environment. For instance, cities like Barcelona and Singapore have adopted smart lighting solutions that adjust based on pedestrian and traffic movement, efficiently illuminating paths and reducing dark spots without excessive energy use.