ABSTRACT
The big question is, why hasn’t security been designed into our infrastructure and building environment to any significant degree? One possible answer is quite simple: no one had to. It is not possible to design and construct a building without fire prevention features, but most buildings are designed without crime prevention and security features. Building codes and standards require that all structures comply with fire and life safety codes. Until 9/11, security was typically considered only in high-risk buildings like embassies, banks, nuclear power plants, and 7-11s! Now that the soft underbelly of our infrastructure and buildings has been exposed, sometimes in a tragic way, the consciousness of security is permeating the design community. Yet some communities have been considering security and crime prevention for several years and seeing positive changes in the built environment by increased use and lower crime. What is the status today of security being integrated into architecture and infrastructure? There are some international jurisdictions that have had significant success with CPTED implementation, such as New South Wales in Australia, the Design Out Crime program in the United Kingdom, and the Safe Label program in The Netherlands. Unfortunately, the situation in North America has not progressed that far in the past few decades.
