Design has an important role to play in preventing crime and reducing criminal activity without compromising the enjoyment and usability of products, places and services by legitimate users. The Design Against Crime approach aims to reduce the negative consequences of criminogenic affordances.

It derives from CPTED – Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design – a crime prevention theory focusing on tactical design and the effective use of the built environment. It’s a multi-disciplinary approach of crime prevention that uses urban and architectural design and the management of built and natural environments. If designers consider the ways in which the object, systems or environments they are designing might be susceptible to crime – and do this early enough in the design process – they can prevent crime from occurring, or at least reduce the opportunities for offender behaviour.

This seminar deals with the question, how by researching abuser ‘needs’ such as loopholes and weaknesses in systems, situations, premises or environments designers can apply this creativity and innovation to developing sophisticated solutions that can prevent and ultimately pre-empt crime. The participants will learn, how this makes people and communities feel safer. Recognising that crime, vandalism and anti-social behaviour are issues of high public concern, and that the driving forces behind crime are numerous, good design can help tackle many of these issues. Through integrating simple crime prevention principles in the design process, it is possible to make residential environments much safer.

The aim of ‘Designing Out Crime’ is to reduce the vulnerability of people and property to crime by removing opportunities that may be provided inadvertently by the built environment. It also aims to reduce fear of crime and, in doing so, helps to improve people’s quality of life. Most importantly the participants will study that the best solutions often result from a co-ordinated approach; bringing together the ideas and experience of the developer, the designer, the local authority, the police and the community and that by using design measures to increase natural surveillance and define ownership of public and private space, a sense of community can be fostered where potential criminals are made to feel unwelcome.

Seminar number: 24/08
Start: 11.03.2024 at 10:45 hrs
End: 15.03.2024 at 15:00 hrs
Cost: 365 Euro for IPA-members