ABSTRACT
Sustained development of civilization, spontaneous urbanization processes, and constant increase in population of cities contribute substantially to crime and to decline in residents’ feelings of safety. Current strategies and principles of designing a safe environment base on the following elements:
Natural surveillance• —the placement of physical features and the appropriate organization of the lighting system maximizes visibility and therefore enhances the possibility that an intruder can be noticed. Natural access control• —the placement of entrances, exits, fences, landscaping, and other elements of physical environment in order to deter unauthorized access to the site and to increase the feeling of safety of the authorized persons. Th e possibility to enter and exit the site is limited through appropriate arrangement of parking spots and physical features as well as through the proper placement of a building and channeling pedestrian and motor traffi c. Such an approach to environmental design creates opportunities for natural surveillance and as a result reduces crime risk. Territorial reinforcement• —the use of physical attributes such as fencing, pavement treatments, signage, street benches, particular paint color, and landscaping. Th ese elements not only allow to express ownership but also make it easier to distinguish the four types of space, that is, public, semipublic, semiprivate, and private. Clear
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boundaries reinforce the perception of ownership and people tend to respect precisely defi ned property boundaries. Maintenance• —poor condition of a property or its insuffi cient maintenance suggests lack of care and creates opportunities for illegal acts. Th e necessity to maintain the property should be taken into consideration in the designing process, for example, plants should be selected considering their maximum height, which may reduce the need to trim them too oft en. Using good-quality and damageresistant materials (a lot of materials are given a special “vandal proof” label) also helps to lower maintenance eff orts.
