The City of Gosnells in Western Australia has received two Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Certificates of Merit for its SafeCity Urban Design Strategy. The strategy was launched after a Space Syntax study by the University College of London and Murdoch University, which Council believes was the largest urban crime study ever undertaken in the southern hemisphere.
The study looked at the movement of people and vehicles across the City compared to crime statistics and urban form. The results showed a direct link between urban form and certain types of crime, such as home invasion, burglary and vehicle theft. Council’s SafeCity Manager, Michael Coe, said international research had shown that barricading houses and streets did not work.
“We found that houses in cul-de-sacs with laneways were 23 per cent more likely to be burgled than average,” he said.
If a house could not be seen from across the road, the possibility of burglary was 29 per cent above average and houses that had a high solid fence at the front were 32 per cent more likely to be burgled. As a result of this research, Council adopted the SafeCity Strategy, which recommends the following.
- Urban structure – the safest urban form is a coherent network of neighbourhoods supporting town centres or shopping villages.
- Streets and parking – footpaths, trees, traffic calming and street parking.
- Subdivision and houses – maximising surveillance and minimising blank walls.
- Parks and landscape – making areas attractive.
- Fences and walls – avoiding high walls, shrubs and trees with low branches, which are hiding places for criminals.
- Windows and doors – recommending glazed panels and spy holes.
- Lighting and signage – public areas need to be visible if people are to use them.
- Emergency exits and wheelchair access – using signs to make areas safer.
The strategy includes a zero tolerance policy on graffiti, improved street lighting, safety measures for seniors, and crime prevention partnerships with Government agencies.
For further information contact Gosnells SafeCity Manager, Michael Coe, on (08) 9391 3359.
