Author: Dr. Anke Schröder, LKA
According to Sennett (1992), urbanity is a result of social processes and a construct whose components include insecurities, whereas the aim of crime prevention is to avoid insecurities. The design and use of public places and buildings are geared towards longevity (e.g. BBSR 2010), while society changes dynamically. Thus, demands on the public environment are in a permanent state of transformation.
Security is a basic human need. Behind that seemingly simple term lies a complex construct that has multiple meanings. The Latin word "securus" can be translated as "without worry" or "unconcerned". But it can also describe "the state of being protected from danger or harm". Another interpretation can be found in terms such as "certainty" and "reliability" (cf. Duden.de). People do not necessarily feel unsafe in places where crime is actually observed. Based on this knowledge, it becomes clear that crime prevention measures will only have an effect if those responsible record and analyse the connection between objective and subjective security (transit 2016).
Planning and design of public spaces as well as usability of living environments and neighbourhoods have an impact on objective security and people's perception of security. If security-relevant criteria are already taken into account during the planning phase, the likelihood that a space or an object will become less attractive to potential offenders increases. In keeping with the saying "opportunity makes thieves” – “Gelegenheit macht Diebe-", opportunities for crime can thus be reduced. On the other hand, careful design taking into account heterogeneous usage requirements contributes to increasing the sense of security and consequently the quality of life of the residents: only those who feel safe participate in public life and make use of public spaces.
For a sustainable implementation of urban crime prevention approaches, numerous disciplines and their own theories, methods and aims are required. Consequently, urban crime prevention requires transdisciplinarity, which is strongly oriented towards "socially relevant questions or problems" (Lang/Vilsmaier 2014: 89). In addition to the knowledge of academics, the knowledge and experience of practitioners and potential knowledge users are included (Balsiger 2005: 20). If crime prevention is understood as a macrosocial task (Steffen 2013), a cooperation of numerous actors is needed.
An important starting point of situational crime prevention - in which urban crime prevention is located - lies in primary prevention (Schubert/Spiekermann/Veil 2007). Primary prevention starts at an early stage to prevent crime and opportunities for crime in the first place, and also to strengthen the feeling of security. It often takes decades from the planning to the implementation of projects that requires perseverance and a structured process. Only through binding implementations can urban safety be realised as a component of quality of life.
