Otrygga passager

Abstract

Aims and objectives: Based on an analysis of factors contributing to perceived insecurity and incidence of crime in the municipality’s pedestrian underpasses, to propose concrete measures to increase people’s perceived safety. Method and data: The analysis was performed within the framework of the situational crime prevention model Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). It primarily relied on observational data, complemented by (i) crime incident data and demographic information, (ii) internal and publicly available municipal documents, and (iii) personal communication in the form of e-mail correspondence and video meetings with municipal officials and the contractors involved in the redevelopment of one of the underpasses. Results: In general, feelings of insecurity in the pedestrian underpasses could be explained by poor maintenance (presence of graffiti, inadequate lightning), low levels of use, poor sightlines, as well as the proximity to premises that appeared abandoned and neglected. Crime statistics also indicated that a certain presence of criminal incidents may underlie feelings of insecurity in one of the underpasses. To increase feelings of safety in the underpasses, recommended measures included: improving sightlines and lighting to strengthen natural surveillance, activating adjacent areas to increase levels of use, improving maintenance, as well as enhancing the artistic design in the underpasses, in order to improve their overall image. Key words: Situational crime prevention, crime prevention through environmental design, CPTED, pedestrian underpass, fear of crime, environmental criminology