We should also be designing spaces that enable people to understand the risk and support safe behaviour.

One of the several exhilarating markets in Darwin. There seemed to be a high police presence for what felt like a pretty safe place? The buildings related to the street and the car-park and the markets provided the activity.

Well designed places should be safe. They should encourage people to be in them during the day and night time. There should be a relationship between buildings and the street to people inside can see what is happening outside. 

The following information is sourced from the QLD Police Service

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED- pronounced Sep-Ted) is a crime prevention strategy which outlines how physical environments can be designed in order to lessen the opportunity for crime.

This is achieved by creating environmental and social conditions that:

• maximise risk to offenders (increasing the likelihood of detection, challenge and apprehension)
• maximise the effort required to commit crime (increasing the time, energy and resources required to commit crime)
• minimise the actual and perceived benefits of crime (removing, minimising or concealing crime attractors and rewards)
• minimise excuse making opportunities (removing conditions that encourage/facilitate rationalisation of inappropriate behaviour).
• The CPTED guidelines considers design and use, identifies which aspects of the physical environment affect the behaviour of people and then uses these factors to allow for the most productive use of space while reducing the opportunity of crime. This might include changes to poor environmental design such as street lighting and landscaping.

CPTED concepts and principles are ideally incorporated at the design stage of a development, but can also be applied to existing developments and areas where crime and safety are a concern.

CPTED - Part A Essential features of safer places identifies principles and introduces actions to implement the principles. It is for everyone in the community with an interest in and responsibility for the environments we create.

CPTED Guidelines for Queensland – Part B Implementation Guideis particularly offered to local councils. It aims to encourage and assist them to incorporate the principles of CPTED in their communities.

Please also refer to the Safety Audit Program if you would like to apply the principles of CPTED by conducting a safety audit in a public place in your neighbourhood.

Other Place Outcomes:

More Information: Place Qualities - Safety; Place Tools - Context - Audit

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