Urban Space for Everyone

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Helle Nrgaard and Slvi Brresen

URBANSPACEFOR

EVERYONEChallenges, conflicts and measures


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URBANSPACE...FOR EVERYONEChallenges, conflicts and measures

By Helle Nrgaard and Slvi Brresen

The Danish Building Research InstituteAalborg University


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Foreword

In recent years there has beenmuch focus on the revitalisation ofcities and urban space. Streets andsquares are expected to offer lively,diverse settings that can accommo-date a wide spectrum of users fromrollerbladers to caf guests andpeople who simply want to relaxin the sun. Urban space should bebeautiful and interesting, invitingresidents and other users to meet

and stay for a while.

But urban space also holds thepotential for conflicts and crime:violence, theft, graffiti and saleof drugs take place within theconfines of the city. Experienceshows, however, that makinga conscious effort to properlydesign, maintain and operate ur-ban space can reduce crime andincrease feelings of safety. The de-

sire to prevent crime and increasesecurity can however clash withthe desire for diversity and liveli-ness and it is therefore importantto find a good balance betweenthese different elements and con-siderations. This balance must berooted in specific local conditions.

For many years there has beena need for knowledge about the

crime prevention aspects of urbandevelopment which has encour-aged The Danish Crime PreventionCouncil to investigate this area.The purpose is to share knowledgeand experience with local politi-cians, urban planners, operationsmanagers and the police. One par-ticular aspiration is to inspire thedistrict crime prevention councils

in the 12 Danish police districts todiscuss a holistic programme ofcrime prevention in urban space.The study underlying this report isa step in that direction. We hopethe report will help create greaterawareness of the developmentof urban space for the benefit ofresidents and users in the city.

The report focuses on urban life

and discusses the questions: Whyare some city spaces consideredsafe and others not? Where dopeople want to be? What are theinevitable dilemmas in the questto provide urban space for every-one?

The study is based on eight cityspaces in Copenhagen, Odense,rhus and Aalborg with focus oncrime prevention measures and

experiences from local municipali-ties and the police. Focus is fur-thermore on the users perceptionof safety in relation to the casestudy areas which were selectedon the basis of their relatively highincidence of crime compared withother parts of the cities: violence,theft and graffiti in particular. Theparticular urban spaces are placeswhere many people gather and

where crime occurs which is thedownside of the citys popularity.

The study was conducted by HelleNrgaard, senior researcher andproject manager, and Slvi KarinBrresen, researcher, from TheDanish Building Research Insti-tute. Furthermore, Pernille Arborg,intern, contributed to the study.

Thorkild rResearch Director

The Danish Building Research Institute

Anna Karina NickelsenHead of secretariat

The Danish Crime Prevention Council


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Table of contents

Urban space for everyone? conclusions and recommendations 7City life 10

The city as meeting place 10

Urban revitalisation 10

Multifunctional city space 11

Safety and risks 13

What creates unsafety? 13

Socially marginalised people in public space 14

Making space for marginalised groups 14

Challenges, problems and conflicts 15

Crime and safety 16

Routes, moving about and lighting 16

Eyes on squares and places 17

Closed spaces open spaces 18

Urban spaces maintenance or neglect 18

Dialogue and interdisciplinary cooperation 19

The good square 20

Users perceptions of risk 20Challenges and measures 20

Challenges and measures for the various urban areas 21

The selected cities and city spaces 22

Copenhagen 22

Odense 23

rhus 24

Aalborg 25

Common features of the urban spaces 26


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Urban success increases the use of the citys various places and spaces. This results in greater wear and tear, which requires ongo-ing maintenance, repair and renovation. Shown here, Sndergade, the main pedestrian street in rhus.

is a challenge to the concept ofurban space for everyone.

Another goal in urban developmentis to avoid mono-functional areasand instead aim for a mix of activi-ties in certain districts. This meansplacing stores, cafs, restaurants,amusement arcades, movie the-atres and other types of business-es and housing side by side. This is

attractive to many people becauseit livens up the street. But it alsocreates conflicts when familiesliving in the city have to co-existwith others who use the city asan entertainment centre until theearly hours of the morning. Byusing a more traditional strategy of

avoiding entertainment and otheractivities in housing areas andconcentrating urban functions inother areas such conflicts can beavoided. However, this kind of con-centration can leave some parts ofthe city deserted.

Conceptually, multifunctional urbanspaces are designed to meetthe need of all users. However,

urban planners often have specificusers in mind, and some workconsciously to design urban spacethat appeals to selected groups.For although the general goal is toprovide flexible, diverse and multi-cultural space, creating commonspace is difficult in a time where

Urban space for everyone? conclusions and recommendations

Cities are undergoing constantchange where local municipalitiesfocus on making urban areas moreattractive, lively and interestingand where many new housingdevelopments are taken place. Thisis largely a success which meansmore people visit, use and live incities.

A common goal in the revitalisa-

tion process is for urban space tobe welcoming and accessible toeveryone. At the same time, urbanplanners try to create flexible,diverse and multicultural space tomeet changes in use, preferencesand needs. Urban users have dif-ferent needs and interests which


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individuality is valued and marked

by different and changing needs.

There are many urban successesaround the country and in manyways it has been possible to creatediverse urban life. However, theurban success is not for everyonesince there is not always roomand tolerance for all users. Meet-ing the needs and preferences ofthe citys various users requires

greater focus on specific groupsand providing space for selectedusers - also those who are sociallymarginalised.

The study shows that userstypically say that they do not feelunsafe in the city when askeddirectly. However, the study alsoshows that beneath the imme-diate impression of safety andsecurity, in their daily lives people

do think about whether places aresafe or unsafe. They avoid walking

Popular urban areas are not popular with everyone. Residents desire for peace and quiet conflicts with the nightlife fuelled by theentertainment options in the neighbourhood. Shown here: Jomfru Ane Gade in Aalborg.

in certain areas, instead choosing

what is considered safe routes.

Physical surroundings such as build-ings and street furniture, lightingand visibility thus influence the feel-ing of safety. Areas devoid of peopleare perceived as being unsafe. Thisshows that safety and securityissues are important to considerwhen working with public space.

Some people perceive urban lifeand being in the city as unsafe andeven dangerous, and avoid certainareas because of fear of whatmight happen. This is a paradoxbecause the risk of actually being avictim of crime is on the decrease.While the fear of being the victimof crime has risen, for severalyears now, the crime rate has actu-ally fallen in Denmark and otherEuropean countries.

The study shows that the feelingof being unsafe is closely related

to the perception of what and who

is dangerous, and rarely to actualexperience. This does not hold truefor socially marginalised groups,however, whose members are atrisk of violence and attack, andwho therefore quite naturally feelhighly vulnerable.

The conclusion is that workingwith public space presents manydilemmas. It is crucial to decide

what kind of public space is aimedat and to consider who the us-ers might be because particulardesigns etc. may be diminishingthe quality that is valued by someusers. There are no clear-cut solu-tions when working with urbandevelopment and creating safeenvironments for everyone. It isimportant to consider what kindof urban space is desired, what isfeasible, where different functionsshould be located and who willuse particular urban spaces.


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It is recommended to:

Acknowledge urban success,but recognise that increasedand different use causes morewear and tear.

Take a close look at the op-eration and maintenance of

public space. Does it match theincreased use of the city andurban success?

Consider the need for moresupervision of public space:reinstate park attendants toembody common norms ofbehaviour.

Distinguish between urbanspace for everyone and urbanspace for some, acknowledging

the impossibility of providingsafe urban space for everyoneat the same time.

Work with the several anddifferent types of users andcarefully weigh their various in-terests and needs in the urbanpolicy process.

Improve visibility and lightingquality.

Strengthen cooperationbetween the police, urban

planners, local businesses,homeowner associations andvolunteer organisations alongthe lines of the well-established

Vandalism and graffiti make many people feel unsafe. Neglect reinforces the feelingthat the area is unsupervised.

Some of the places that feel most safe and pleasant during the day are those that feed insecurity after nightfall. Thinning out treesand bushes to create openness and visibility in the interests of providing safety for some people may spoil what was an urban oasisfor others. Shown here: Enghave park in Copenhagen.

SSP (formalised local coop-eration between the schools,social services and police)cooperation.

The purpose of this report is toprovide inspiration for planners,politicians, the police and othersinvolved in urban development. Thereport contains a description ofurban life and deals with the chal-lenges, problems and conflicts re-

lated to urban revitalisation and thewide range of users. The descrip-tion of urban life will hold true formany cities, not only the spaces in

Copenhagen, Odense, rhus andAalborg that were the basis forthe study. The report summarisesexperiences from planning, de-signing and operating and use ofurban space in the four cities listedabove. These experiences form thebasis for five recommendationsto help create a feeling of safetyand prevent crime. The reportconcludes with descriptions of theselected city spaces plus sug-

gested measures for various typesof space. The goal is to inspire oth-ers in their efforts to create safer,livelier cities.


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City life

Many people find the citys den-sity, crowds, constant changeand renewal an attraction anda positive experience in itself.The city offers a wide range ofactivities and choices such asmovie theatres, museum exhibits,visits to cafs and restaurants

as well as opportunities to meetother people. Organised musicaland cultural events are availablealongside spontaneous activitiesand socialising. Parks and squaresprovide opportunities for sports orsitting quietly on a bench. Manynew housing units have been built,and the city is home to increas-ing numbers of people. Many goto the city to take advantage ofeverything it has to offer and to be

part of urban life. Familiarity withthe city creates a feeling of safety,but the city is also where the unex-pected happens. The place to meet

the unknown, to meet strangers.Urban space is under constantchange, and in recent years it hasdrawn in increasing numbers ofvisitors. The city has become asuccess.

Retail opening hours have been

liberalised, and many cities haveseen an increase in the numbersof cafs and restaurants many ofwhich provide outdoor service.City squares offer a variety ofperformances, music, concerts,street theatre and are the sites offestivals and other forms of leisureactivities.

The city as meeting place

The city is a meeting place formany different people with widelydivergent backgrounds, whetherthey live in the city, work there or

come as consumers to buy goodsor events. Some are from privatelyowned houses in the suburbsor from housing estates, otherscome from regions further afield orabroad and all have different rela-tions and experiences with the city.

Those living in the city move fromone part of the city to anotherdepending on their activities and

doings and whom they are meet-ing with.

Children and young people gather from

all over the city and from communities

30 km away from Aalborg. We see youth

come all the way from Skagen [ed. 100

km] to meet and hang out with others.

(Aalborg police)

But young people are far fromalone, sharing the city with lots of

other users who have their owninterests, needs, expectationsand norms. In many ways they arecompeting for public space, withdifferent groups occupying parts ofcity and frequently changing placessuch as a street corner, a square, apark. For part of the day a pedes-trian street is filled with shoppers,while at other times the street istaken over by young skaters.

The city and its urban spaces arecharacterised by having varioususes and users depending on timeof day. Thus divergent groups withdifferent norms can use the samespace without any problem. Butconflicts or feelings of unsafetycan also arise when different userswant to use the same city space atthe same time, but for very differ-ent purposes.

Urban revitalisationExtensive urban renewal has madeliving in the city attractive, and new

Use of urban space intensifies as cities increasingly seek to promote themselves

through activities, events and happenings. Here a juggler entertains a crowd onStrget, the main pedestrian street in Copenhagen.


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Young people in particular occupy city space. Some come occasionally, while otherscome often, perhaps daily. The young are mobile and use the citys various spaces fordifferent purposes. Shown here: Nytorv square in Aalborg.

Although we use the city differently depending on our norms and values, we often have the same objective. Shown left, a pub inthe sterbro quarter of Copenhagen. Shown right, Vadestedet, a caf and restaurant area in rhus.

housing and courtyard renovationhave brought the housing standardup to the level of newer suburbanareas.

For decades Danish city centreswere inhabited by a relatively

uniform group of residents: theyoung and the old. Urban renewalprojects have converted small flatsinto larger ones for families, whichwas possible because formerresidents who had been rehouseddid not want to return to their oldflats. The sale of municipal hous-ing stock and the conversion intocooperative housing has alsochanged the mix of residents.

Urban renewal has allowed other clien-

tele to move in. The newcomers are well

organised and articulate with very high

expectations and demands. (Copenha-

gen planner)

In some cases young residents

stay in the city even when theystart having children which changetheir needs and interests along theway. In other cases new residentsmove to the city from the suburbs,bringing with them the normsupheld there plus the expectationof peace and quiet. Buyers pur-chasing high-priced city flats mayhave correspondingly high expec-tations and demands. In any case,

the residents different lifestyles,norms, expectations and desiressometimes give rise to conflicts.

People are less accommodating. There is

less tolerance today. Even though condi-

tions in Vesterbro have improved, people

complain more. (Copenhagen police)

Vesterbro in inner-city Copenhagenhas been subject to major renewalefforts and general revitalisationwhich have attracted new resi-dents. The drug addicts who havelong claimed the area near MariaChurch for their own make resi-dents feel unsafe. In response tothis public space has been fencedoff. What was once public spacehas thus been converted intoprivate space that excludes otherusers.

Multifunctional city spaceThe political goal is to createlively cities. In many planningdocuments the visual, functional,recreational, cultural and social as-pects of the design of streets andsquares and other public spaceis being emphasised. Focus is on

improving city space with opportu-nities for changing and spontane-ous activities. Municipalities alsoorganise activities, events andentertainment to make the cityattractive. All these initiatives drawin many users and accelerate wearand tear on the city.

The use of the city is not restrictedto the people who live there but


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is open to everyone. Cities haveincreasingly become a meeting

place attracting young people fromwithin the city, from the suburbsnearby as well as distant regions.The young often meet just to hangout together, but there are alsocases where they arrange to meetto and have a fight. That makesother users feel unsafe, but theproblem is difficult to solve. Ifyoung people get word the policeare on their way, they just move

to a different area. Mobile phonesenable them to quickly disappearfrom one place and reappear inanother. That makes it extremelydifficult for the police to findgroups of young people who aredisturbing the peace or who arecommitting crime.

The way children and young people

communicate with each other, meet and

part is based on a social understanding

and way of using the city that is new to

us. (Copenhagen planner)

Enghave park in Copenhagen is very much a multifunctional urban space. By day:sports, groups of pre-schoolers, old people, a supervised playground. By night: groupsof immigrants, people arranging dogfights and cannabis dealers.

Many new dwellings are being built in parts of the city, attracting new residents and changing the use of the city. This represents anew situation as well as new norms.

This also means that problemscan shift from one geographic area

to another. For example, policeactions to stop sale of cannabisin Freetown Christiania (a partiallyself-governing Copenhagen neigh-bourhood with semi-legal status)

have moved both sellers and buy-ers to Vesterbro and other parts of

the city. Similarly, police actions toclose down cannabis clubs, whichoften generate feelings of unsafe-ty, have shifted the problems toother districts.


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This dark tunnel connects a park with the railway station in Aalborg. Pedestrian trafficis heavy during the day, but at night the area is deserted and some people hesitate touse the tunnel.

Tall trees, dense bushes and low visibility fuel the fear that someone may be lurkingnearby. Shown here: Enghave park in Copenhagen.

People who live in the area call and say

they dont dare go out at night because

of the aggressive dogs and groups of

youth, as well as the people hanging

around street corners in connection with

cannabis dealing. (District manager,

roads and parks service, Copenhagen)

One of the challenges of develop-ing good city space is that as astarting point it should accommo-date all users and meet all corre-sponding needs. Another challengeis that city space should be flexibleand future-oriented in terms of useand users.

Safety and risksSense of safety and security is

highly individual. Some people feelinsecure about situations that bare-ly affect others. The feeling canchange over time and is influencedby recent events. Some people arecongenital worriers while othersare more robust. Personality, back-ground and personal experiencestrongly influence what frightensus and makes us feel at risk.

People feel reassured and relieved when

the police turn up, but too much policepresence isnt good because then people

think there are problems. (Odense police

officer)

Different people react differentlyto situations that make them feelunsafe. Some take an offensiveand constructive approach to theuncertain and risky aspects of life.Others try to reduce their sense of

unsafety and insecurity by avoidingsituations and places that makethem feel vulnerable.

What creates unsafety?Overall, the users who wereinterviewed in the study felt safemoving about the city. They citedpersonal familiarity with the areaas one of the most important ele-ments of feeling safe and secure.Users expressed that the time of

day has a major impact on howsafe they feel, and that darknessalone gives a feeling of being

unsafe. Some older women saidthat they basically never go out atnight, and in general the womenwho were interviewed felt moreunsafe after dark than did the men.

Dense closed space with fewexits is considered unsafe and are

places many users avoid. Poor orno lighting reinforces the feel-ing of unsafety when it is dark,

and the police add that in somecases there is good reason to beon guard. Physical surroundingsclearly influence the sense ofsafety, and poor maintenance suchas litter, damaged benches, brokenwindows, graffiti and other typesof vandalism signal unsafe environ-

ments. Deserted areas and narrowempty streets also make manyusers uneasy.


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Socially marginalised people inpublic spaceThe people who were interviewedsay that drug addicts and alcohol-ics make them feel unsafe, as dothe mentally ill who occupy oreven live in the citys parks andsquares. Both police and district

managers report that there aremore mentally ill people in publicspace than there used to be. Onereason is that mental hospitalshave fewer beds available for thisgroup. Instead, a district psychiatryscheme has been established un-der which patients live in ordinaryhousing areas and are expectedto seek help or receive treatmentin their own homes. This leaves agroup of people who are unable toseek contact with the healthcaresystem and who are very much ontheir own.

A lot of the problems that end up in

public space are actually social prob-

lems. The roads and parks service is not

really equipped to handle them. (District

manager, roads and parks service)

Many of the users find that mar-

ginalised groups have a strongpresence in public space andand feel excluded by the normsand rules set out by this group of

people. Many users avoid placesfavoured by marginalised groups.Planners and district park manag-ers who participated in the studysay that many people turn to thembecause they dont feel comfort-able walking past a group ofpeople sitting drinking in public.

I think it creates a general feeling of

unease if you see behaviour that is un-

expected and unmotivated. Something

outside your own set of rules. What

makes drug addicts and drunks unpleas-

ant is that they do things we really dont

care to witness. (Copenhagen planner)

Large groups of people in generalmake other people feel unsafe

when they themselves are theminority. This is also the case withlarge groups of young people whomake a lot of noise.

Its mainly a group of neglected youth

ages 12-18 who create a lot of insecurity.

(Aalborg police officer)

The study shows that the usergroups that feel the most vulner-able and insecure are margina-

lised people themselves, who inmany cases have been attackedor subjected to various types ofharassment. Several of these us-

ers also said that knowing they areunwanted in public space makesthem feel unsafe.

Making space for marginalisedgroupsThe four cities in the study takedifferent approaches to the mar-

ginalised groups that occupy publicspace. Most have removed largenumbers of benches in recentyears to discourage unwantedgroups from taking over city space.However, this diminishes the qual-ity of the same space, because itprevents others from sitting downcomfortably to enjoy the view or asunny day.

The harsh reality is that we have re-moved up to two-thirds of the benches

in public space over the past 20 years.

(Copenhagen planner)

Some cities have made consciousefforts to separate users andcreating playgrounds, footballfields, basketball courts, etc. whihare separated from benches andsitting areas. Focus is all togetheron creating open spaces with good

visibility as experience shows thatif trees and bushes are allowed tomake the space too dense, mar-ginalised groups take over suchspaces, deterring other groupsfrom using them.

Some cities have experimentedwith setting up shelters for mar-ginalised groups outside the citycentre, and consider that a good

solution. Others see marginalisedgroups as part of city life and haveattempted to design space withthem in mind. Thus local authori-ties have different views on whereit is most appropriate to designatespace or shelters for marginalisedgroups. One view is that it is bet-ter to keep them in the heart ofthe city, because an urban core isbetter equipped to handle manydifferent kinds of people. Alterna-

tively, some decision-makers focuson moving problem groups out ofthe city centre.

Marginalised groups, including the homeless, feel unsafe about occupying citysquares, which are home to them. Local authorities take different approaches tohandling this group of users, but no one claims to have found an ideal solution.


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Challenges, problems and conflictsThe study shows that workingwith, and planning for urban spacepresents numerous challenges.Politicians, business and tradeassociations, restaurant and caf

owners and many users find itattractive that the city is in highgear and is used by many people.In contrast, some residents andother users want the city quiet andpeaceful. Another challenge is that

while some users seek diversity,surprise, festivity and welcomeswhat is foreign and unknown, oth-ers have a need to control and limitaccessibility to make the city safe,familiar and predictable.

Overall, changes in use and shiftsin norms regarding city space

present many challenges for theplanning, revitalisation and use ofurban space. It is also a challengefor the police and for operating andmaintaining city space, particularlyin terms of preventing crime andcreating a sense of safety.

In many places, doors and gates arelocked to prevent undesirable elementsfrom occupying courtyards. Shown: arenovated courtyard in the middle ofFredericia.

Challenges and conflicts

Life in the city Quiet in the city

Diversity and contrast Safety, predictability and familiarity

The study indicates a change in norms with regard to the use of public urban space: rather than consideringothers, today users are more likely to focus on their own needs and desires. The study shows that the develop-ment of social relations and networks is not necessarily rooted in the place we live, but rather that individualchoices are made about whom and where to meet.

Development in problems and challenges

- from - to

Consideration for other users Focus on own needs and desires

Place based values and norms Selected meetings with like-minded

Own responsibility Public responsibility

Public space Private gated space

The study also shows that people are more likely to turn to public authorities to solve conflicts than to try andsort out problems with neighbours or other users. Safety isseus have brought about some distinct changes in

public space, such as door intercoms and locked courtyards. There are also examples where public space nearresidential areas is fenced in order to protect residents from potential risk. This converts public space into pri-vate territory that bars other users from access.


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Crime and safety

Many cities ban alcohol consumption, which means people cannot sit on a bench anddrink where in contrast users are allowed to drink in cafs and restaurants. The policerarely enforce this prohibition. The sign shown prohibiting the use of alcohol is in thecentre of Nykbing Falster.

This report aims to identify crimeprevention measures and initiativesfor making urban spaces safer forusers. It is based on interviewsconducted with urban planners,district park managers, police andusers of urban spaces in Copenha-gen, Odense, rhus and Aalborgin an attempt to gain insight intothe types of problem in the variousdistricts and to explain why they

arise. More specifically thepurpose is to illustrate experienc-es, ways of cooperating betweenthe parties involved and lessonslearned in relation to crime preven-tive measures.

The experiences of urban plan-ners can be categorised into threethemes:

The design of urban spaces and

the challenges relative to differ-ent user groups

Crime prevention planning,crime prevention strategies and

cooperation with other parties Use and users in the city, the

ways different groups occupyurban spaces, and the inter-viewees impression of howdifferent users perceive the cityfrom a safety viewpoint.

The interviews with police focusedon user groups, overall crimerates, types of crime, police initia-

tives and different crime preven-tion measures. Police were alsoasked about their cooperativepartners when dealing with youngpeople as well as marginalisedgroups such as the homeless.

In the study observations weremade in the early morning, after-noon and evening, and passers-bywere interviewed in relation to useof the eight urban spaces,. One

theme was users general use androutes around the city, whetherthey avoided particular places, andif so, why. Another theme was us-

ers perception of the place, crimein the area, and the source of infor-mation about the selected places.A third theme was users feelingof safety and security at varioustimes of day. A fourth theme wasusers description of good andbad public places and squares.

Together, the interviews and ob-servations provided input for crime

prevention and safety-enhancingmeasures. The study shows thatmunicipalities are aware of crimeprevention recommendations toopen up urban spaces, make themvisible and populate them. Howev-er, the study also showed that noneof the municipalities pursued a gen-eral crime prevention strategy thatsystematically implements theserecommendations. As a result, itwas not possible to evaluate the

effect of initiatives in the eight cityspaces. The following suggestionsfor improving safety and prevent-ing crime are the sum of differentexperiences in the four cities ratherthan based on specific measuresfor selected urban spaces.

Routes, moving about and lightingThe freedom to choose saferoutes and have alternatives when

moving about the city is crucialto the perception of safety. Goodlighting is especially importantin this regard. When discussingsafe routes, a distinction shouldbe made between necessary andoptional movements. Focus onlighting is particularly important inareas that people have to use, forexample, areas connecting cen-tral functions in the city such asthe railway station and shopping

zones. Other routes are chosenfreely as shortcuts a narrowalley, a deserted square or a darkpark places they do not need to


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go but choose of their own accord.The same lighting requirementsdo not apply to these areas, andin relation to parks there is ratherthe need to consider the need forseclusion when visiting parks.

Several municipalities are makingconscious attempts to improvelighting, and their work has shownpositive results. In some cases, au-

thorities initiated their own lightingprojects such as in Odense, wherethe safety and security aspects oflighting were examined.A walk through the city can be thefirst stage towards creating an ur-ban lighting plan. During the walk,

When working with lighting solutions, planners can alter users routes by turning anoptional shortcut into a main route. The photograph shows the Kongens Have park inOdense.

Focus on lighting is needed in places that people need to pass through to get from onepart of the city to another.

planners should consider the de-sired use of and movement withinthe urban space and how lightingcan be used to prevent crime andcreate sense of safety.

Eyes on squares and placesUrban spaces, pedestrian streetsand city centres that are aban-doned and deserted cause manypeople to feel unsafe. The goal for

many municipalities and planningdepartments is to integrate differ-ent functions in order to create alively environment. Attempts arealso being made to preserve hous-ing in city centres so that thesequarters stay populated after work-

The study shows that peoplecompensate for lack of lightingby choosing alternative routes.The study also shows that goodlighting creates a sense of safetyand that planners should consid-er the safety aspects of lightingas well as the desired use of and

movement within urban spaces.A walk throughout the city focus-ing on lighting and safety can bea tool to this end.

The study reveals a dilemma: toseparate or to combine dwellings

with other city functions such asrestaurants and cafes. While thegoal of urban development andplanning has gradually becometo mix functions in individualurban quarters and areas, thestudy shows that this blend alsohas a downside such as conflictsbetween various users and alsoan increase in crime and violencein particular that occurs whenmany people gather. Although

populating urban spaces is goodfor peoples sense of safety, italso generates problems when awide variety of activities goon simultaneously.

ing hours and at weekends.

The police have focus on beingpresent when they know manypeople are going to congregate,such as at big events like football

matches and concerts, or whenmany people are out on the town.However, the rise in reportedcrime is evidence that this problemalso occurs elsewhere.There is a great deal of focus onthe extent to which video surveil-lance prevents crime. The studyshowed that surveillance can helpthe police to solve crime, but alsothat crimes such as violence, as-sault and vandalism often happen

after people have been drinkingor using other substances and, insuch cases, surveillance probablyhas a limited effect on preventingcrime. Although video surveillancemakes some people feel safe, itcan also create a false sense ofsecurity.


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Closed spaces open spacesClosed, non-transparent publicspaces may cause a sense of un-ease but they also have qualities.A closed park can feel unsafe, es-pecially in the evening, because itaffords few escape routes. Fencingalso means that certain groups cantake over and dominate the space,preventing others from using it.

However, other considerationsspeak in favour of closed, fenced-in urban spaces.

The presence of private residences around public squares means many people may be watching, a form of surveillance thathas a crime prevention effect. But if the square has lots of users, conflicts and crime may also result. Louise Square in Aalborg isdeserted.

Open spaces are a contrast toclosed spaces. Open, unfencedareas can be a problem becausethey have no clearly definedboundaries. Consequently, suchareas can act as transit spaces andloose the qualities of closed parks.The study shows that some of thesafest and most pleasant placesduring the day are those people

find most unsettling after nightfall.There is a need for a variety ofurban spaces even those thatseem unsafe after nightfall. Thesolution here is to offer alternative

One of the qualities of recreational areasis that they can be screened off from thesurrounding city, offering a much needed

oasis. Fencing can help block out noiseand provide shelter and privacy, as wellas making the place safe for groups likeparents with young children. Shownhere: Enghave park in Copenhagen.

The study shows there are noprecise guidelines for workingwith open and closed spaces.Open, unfenced spaces offer un-impeded views and an opennessthat promotes safety. Closedspaces have other, recreationalqualities that are lost if fencesand plants are removed to createoverview and openness. There

is a need both types of urbanspace.

routes for getting from one placeto another.

Urban spaces maintenance orneglectMaintaining and refurbishing publicurban spaces is crucial to oursense of safety. The study showsthat lack of maintenance sets avicious circle in motion and thatplaces that are not taken care offoften attract marginalised groupssuch as substance abusers.


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Neglect and lack of supervision makeurban spaces susceptible to crime suchas vandalism, drug sales and prostitution,which frightens and deters many users.

Experience shows that it is pos-sible to breathe new life into run-down urban spaces by renewingand refurbishing them and addingnew functions to attract otherusers. Once it has been decidedto create a new urban space, the

success of the project will dependon sufficient funds being allocatedto maintain the area and preventit from falling into disrepair. Thestudy also shows that specialefforts are needed at weekendswhen large numbers of users tendto leave piles of rubbish.

The study shows that a vicious

circle rapidly gains momentum ifurban spaces are not kept cleanand maintained. In addition,all urban spaces need ongoingmaintenance and supervision aswell as differentiated, intensiveefforts at weekends and dur-ing the establishment of a newurban space. The rising successand use of cities have magnifiedthese needs.

Local authorities have had varying experi-ences with park supervision. Overall,supervision has been found to havea crime prevention effect as well ascreating safety. Signs in Enghave park,Copenhagen.

In many municipalities there arecuts in the supervision of publicparks resulting in rubbish bins,plants and other items beingstolen from parks. In some casesrubbish is dumped, which in-creases maintenance costs. Thestudy shows that the presence ofpark attendants can have a positiveeffect and that intensive effortsare needed to promote good

user habits, particularly in theearly phases of establishing a newurban space. Park attendants couldcarry out this function. Instead of

constant supervision, focus couldbe on particular areas and effortsdirected to places where thingsare going in the wrong direction.This requires that personnel keepan eye on what is going on.

Dialogue and interdisciplinarycooperationInterdisciplinary cooperation hasproved successful. It is a particu-larly good approach to outreachand crime prevention initiativestargeted at marginalised childrenand young people where coop-eration is established betweenthe police, local authority social

services, parents groups, schools,residents organisations and otherassociations.

Analogous to this is the need forbroader, more interdisciplinaryinitiatives between the partiesinvolved in the planning and opera-tion of urban spaces public and

private players alike. City planningcannot be viewed in isolation and,to be successful, often has to becarried out through broad collab-orative efforts and sometimes in-tegrated with social programmes.Planners also need to engage indialogue with users even so-

cially marginalised groups like thehomeless and thus strengthenthe individual users ownership ofurban spaces.

The police are working systemati-cally to chart crime. They monitorcrime trends and launch policeefforts to critical hot spots wherecrime is heavily concentrated. Thisknowledge would be useful to

the planning departments of localmunicipalities and help them totarget their efforts. However, thisexchange of knowledge wouldrequire close teamwork betweenpolice and local governmentauthorities to focus attention onhigh-risk areas.

Police GIS map showing crime hot spots.

The study shows that urban de-velopment poses many challeng-es requiring close cooperation

among a broad group of players,including the police and urbanplanners. Interdisciplinary proj-ects should be initiated alongsidethe work of planning, design-ing and operating urban spacesand should be part of outreachprogrammes targeted at sociallymarginalised groups.


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The good square in Piran, Slovenia.

The good square

Many factors determine whethera square is experienced as pleas-ant and attractive. First and fore-most, it not only has to do withthe square itself. The surroundingareas, buildings and functions areessential to how people experi-

ence the square. Last but notleast, the squares other usershave an impact on how the squareis perceived. The study shows thatusers have a clear idea of whatconstitutes good and bad placesand city spaces. Overall, there is

broad agreement that a good, safeplace is one where there are manypeople and a pleasant atmosphere.Good urban spaces are placeswith people and light, whereasdeserted squares and streets areoften considered unsafe. A com-mon thread is that personal famil-iarity with a location makes peoplefeel safe and secure.

For many users, the familiar and

predictable are inextricably linkedwith the feeling of safety. This con-tradicts general planning and de-

velopment goals for urban spaces.Planners strive to develop multi-functional, multicultural and flexiblecity spaces that meet the needs ofdifferent users and offer opportuni-ties for a variety of activities. Thismeans that use and users change,

interviewees who brought this upthemselves. Many said they felt un-safe near groups of young people,especially ethnic minorities. Inter-viewees also referred to certainhousing areas as unsafe, althoughtheir only knowledge of these areascame from the media and hearsay.No-one had ever personally visitedthe housing areas in question.

Interviews with users show that as-sumptions about dangerous peopleand places have a significant impacton their feeling of safety.

The study shows that the feelingof safety is related to notions ofdanger. Feelings of being unsafewhen visiting certain urban spacesis rarely founded in actual experi-ence; rather, they have a media-created image and perception of

places and people that pose dan-ger perceptions that are presentwhen moving about in the city.

Challenges and measuresSpaces in cities have differentfunctions and forms; for example,parks, city centres and pedestrianstreets differ in their use andlayout. Many spaces have overlap-ping functions such as a caf on

a pedestrian street or in the citycentre that acts as a meeting placeas well as a place to spend time.A park or a square can be a placeto meet, but can also simply bea place people pass through ontheir way from one destination toanother a transit space. Some ur-ban spaces function both as transitspaces and places to stay. Focusin the study was on three differenttypes of urban space that com-

bined account for the bulk of spacein a city: transit spaces, parks, andcity centres/pedestrian streets.

which is attractive to some people,but causes others to feel unsafe.

Users perceptions of riskThe study shows that usersperception of crime is based oninformation from television, news-

papers and hearsay. About halfthink crime rates have dropped orremained stable and that violenceis the most common form ofcrime. The people surveyed hadnot personally been the victims ofcrime or experienced any violence,with the exception of some of thesocially marginalised people.

The study shows that users havepreconceptions about ethnic

minorities and housing complexeswith a bad reputation. The topic ofstrangers was important to the


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Challenges and measures for the various urban areas

Challenges MeasuresTransit spaces Often anonymous and act

primarily as pedestrian thor-oughfares.

Open without clearly definedboundaries.

Do not invite people to stay;attract marginalised groupsthat have nowhere else togo.

Create activity zones in thespace but ensure it remainsopen with an unobstructedview.

Plan activities and eventsthat give the space a newrole and identity.

Parks Attract many users in day-time hours. Although parksoffer a haven in the city, afternightfall they assume a dif-ferent guise, and their dense,enclosed design and lack ofoverview and escape routescan create unsafety.

Illuminate main paths whilemaintaining the denselyplanted areas so people feelsafe.

Build activity zones that at-tract and keep different typesof users at different times ofday.

City centres/pedestrian streets Most towns throughout thecountry have many usersduring the day, but manytown centres and pedestrianstreets are deserted oncethe shops close. Abandoned,deserted, poorly lit streetscreate insecurity. Paradoxi-cally, night on the townactivities can cause conflictsand insecurity.

Encourage inner-city housingand mix residential with com-mercial and business areas.

Create activities and func-tions that attract users afterclosing hours.

Investigate the most appro-priate areas to place nighton the town functions.


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Many people use Strget, Copenhagens pedestrian street, and Amagertorv square.The countless shopping streets attract lots of people including those who commitcrimes such as theft and robbery.

Although Enghave park is a green oasis in the city, it is a place some nonetheless avoid.

The selected cities and city spacesThe cities in the study were found-ed hundreds of years ago, andonly limited changes have beenmade to their historic centres. Thesquares and parks, streets andneighbourhoods that connectedthe town can still be identified on

city maps. A birds eye view ofthe city often clearly shows whichroutes people use to get from oneplace to another, for example, fromthe citys rail and bus terminals tothe city centre. Seen from above,the places that attract many peopleare also obvious, as are the places,squares and streets that are rela-tively deserted.

CopenhagenIn Copenhagen the focus was onAmagertorv, a square, and Eng-have park. Amagertorv, with itsfamous stork fountain, is located inthe city centre while the park is inthe citys Vesterbro district.

Amagertorv

Amagertorv in Copenhagen isa meeting place. It is a vibrantsquare with performing artists

and numerous other activities thatcontribute to city life. Amagertorvboasts cafs, which appeal to theyoung and make it a hip meetingplace. It also has a wealth of shopsand is heavily frequented by tour-ists. Lots of people gather here, at-tracting others who commit crimessuch as theft, robbery and streetrobbery. Violence occurs laterin the evening, especially when

people make their way home fromthe pubs to the town hall square tocatch a night bus or to the centralrailway station to catch a train. Thisis a problem throughout Strget,the citys main pedestrian street. Itis typically drunks that are involvedin violent incidents that mostlytake place between people whoalready know each other or be-tween those who have met in thecourse of the evening. An opinion

expressed by all the people inter-viewed on Amagertorv was thatthey felt safe on the square irre-spective of time of day. The square

is perceived as a pleasant placeto stay or pass through because ithas good visibility.

Enghave park

Enghave park in the Vesterbrodistrict of Copenhagen has manydifferent users. Some are localpeople who work in the vicinityand use the park to sit on a benchand enjoy the sun or people who

walk the dog, while others are par-ents with children who play in thepark. The park has a supervisedplayground whose staff activateand play with the children. Peopleenjoy sport on the basketball court.Enghave park can de described asa place that leads a double life, ifnot more. It has a daytime exis-tence when children, parents and

older people visit. In the evening,the users are groups of youngpeople who have arranged tomeet in the park. The park is oftensubject to vandalism and used bydog owners who organise dogfights there. There is a brisk tradein cannabis as well. Patrons of thenearby night club Vega often causetrouble here. The life that unfoldsin the park in the evening makes

many local residents feel extreme-ly unsafe. Immediately adjoiningEnghave park is a square, primarilyused by beer drinkers who comeevery day. A circular hedge partiallyscreens the square, hiding it fairlywell from passers-by. The squareis described as a safe place duringthe day but less so in the evening.


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The railway station square is used mainly as a transit space.

Drug dealing is one of the activities that go on behind the tall hedges of KongensHave, Odense.

OdenseIn Odense, the urban spacesselected were Kongens Have, StHans Square and the railway sta-tion square. These three adjoiningareas are considered an integratedwhole.

Kongens HaveKongens Have in Odense is ahistoric park, which, togetherwith Odense Castle, is part ofDenmarks cultural heritage.Kongens Have is centrally locatedand connects the railway stationwith the city centre. The area thusfunctions more as a transit zonethan a proper recreational park.A possible explanation is thatthe city has other more attrac-tive recreational areas, such asMunke Mose. A very mixed groupuses the park. Some people passthrough on their way to and fromthe city centre; groups of childrenand young people many fromthe nearby school play ball here;other people simply sit on a benchenjoying the sun. Marginalisedgroups are also present, includingsome visibly under the influence of

drink or drugs.

Kongens Have is relatively open,but the inner area has rows ofbenches surrounded by tall hedg-es. A considerable amount of drugdealing goes on here. In the past,the park was the scene of numer-ous robberies, but a special actiongroup was brought in as well asthe city police patrol unit, which

led to a drop in crime. Some maleand female interviewees feel un-safe using the park after nightfall.

St Hans Square and the railway

station square

St Hans Church and Marie Jr-gensens School are located on StHans Square. Between the churchand the school is a car park usedby the schoolchildrens parents,churchgoers and others. Parents

have complained that the presence

of groups of marginalised peopleon the square makes them feelunsafe and uncomfortable. Localauthority planners describe thesquare as slightly dark and dull,and would like to open it up to at-tract more people to pass through.The railway station square wasbuilt in 2005. It is an open, slightly

elevated paved square with flightsof steps and benches, minimalplants and a statue of Hans Chris-

tian Andersen on his travels, asculptural interpretation by an art-ist; Bjrn Nrgaard. The square hasan underground car park. The areaacts primarily as a transit spaceand a short stay zone, for example,when people stop to read the wallnewspaper on the faade of FyensStiftstidendes new media house.

The interviewees generally feelsafe using St Hans Square and therailway station square.


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St Clemens Bridge affords a good view of city life by the river, but many people are de-terred from using the area under the bridge because they cannot see what is going on.

Cafs and restaurants one after another at Vadestedet.

rhusTogether, St Clemens Square, StClemens Bridge and Vadestedetcan be considered a single areaon two levels. St Clemens Bridgeis a continuation of the pedestrianstreet, Sndergade, and crossesrhus , the river running through

the city. Vadestedet lies alongsidethe river below.

St Clemens Square and St Clem-

ens Bridge

The height of St Clemens Bridgegives pedestrians an unimpededview in all directions. From oneside, they can look down on Vad-estadet with its wealth of cafsand restaurants, while the otherside offers a view of boulevarden,the riverside boulevard. Usersdescribe the square and bridge asan area that they like to visit.

Vadestedet

When rhus was uncovered atthe end of the 1990s, a special cityarea Vadestedet was createdon the section from Immervad toSt Clemens Square. Vadestedethouses a wide array of restau-

rants and cafs, with the focus onproviding opportunities for outdooractivities in summer. The area at-tracts tourists and locals alike. Theclientele changes several timesover a 24-hour period: during theday business people eat lunchhere, in the evening young familiesout for dinner are the main users,followed by university studentsenjoying a caf latte or a beer.

Around 10 pm the students gohome, and the slightly more hardcore user group takes over. It isonly after 10 pm and into the nightthat problems arise. From end-Mayto end-June and again from mid-August to end-September, policeare on special alert in the area

because crowds of people gatherhere for various events such asthe rhus Festival week in August-September. Young people aretypically those who cause troubleand commit crime, and the policehave special focus on the grouptermed young people who cause

insecurity. The crime rate is fairlylow relative to the large number ofpeople in the area. Users describethe area around Vadestedet, StClemens Square and St ClemensBridge as a safe area and withgood places for passing the timeof day.


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Kennedy Square is primarily a place used by the citys marginalised groups.

Bispensgade and Nytorv are streets where people meet before going out for a night onthe town. Nytorv is a regional traffic hub and the terminus for many regional bus routes.

AalborgIn Aalborg, John F. KennedysSquare and Bispensgade, startingat Nytorv, were the areas selectedfor the study. John F. KennedysSquare is situated near two heavilytrafficked streets, Jyllandsgadeand Prinsensgade. Nytorv lies to-

wards the Aalborg city centre, andthe pedestrian street Bispensgadeoriginates in Nytorv.

John F. Kennedys Square

John F. Kennedys Square showsthe characteristics typical of anarea somewhere between a transitspace and a park. The square pro-vides access to a long undergroundtunnel leading to Kildeparken. Front-

ing Jyllandsgade and Prinsensgadeare bus stops with bus shelters.Dense traffic makes the area verynoisy and thus unattractive forspending any amount of time.However, a square within a squarehas been built a circular place tostay with benches set off by a rowof trees. A group of beer-drinkershave adopted this circular space astheir daytime hang-out. This grouphave expressed great satisfaction

with the square, describing it as apleasant and safe place for meetingfriends. Planners and police, whoknow the area well, say these regu-lar users do not pose a problem.However, a few of the passers-bywho were interviewed said they feltuncomfortable and unsafe whenpassing the benches occupied bybeer drinkers.

Bispensgade from NytorvBispensgade is a busy shoppingstreet with speciality shops andcafs that bustle with life. It is aplace where people stroll, shop,watch life pass by and observethe city. Jomfru Ane Gade, a sidestreet to Bispensgade, boastsmany restaurants and disco-theques, popular places frequently

visited by young people. JomfruAne Gade and the Bispensgadeshopping street are connectedand, according to the police, un-safe at night.

Nytorv seems to have specialsignificance for young people,a showcase where they go tobe seen and meet others. Theyoung people on Nytorv are very

loud and moves around which isoften a reason that other usersfeel unsafe. However, the usersinterviewed did not find Bispens-gade an unsafe place to be. It hasgood street lighting, and the shopsare also lit up after normal openinghours. Nonetheless, there are afew narrow alleyways and nicheswhere people can hide, and thiscan generate a sense of unsafety.


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Common features of the urbanspacesAs mentioned in the foreword,the criteria for selecting the eighturban spaces was the high crimerate. Information on the type andextent of crime are registered inthe electronic police filing system

(POL-SAS). The Danish NationalPolice Centre for Investigation Sup-port (NEC-DATA) integrates a mapof the area (Orthofoto) with re-ported crime data. The geographiccoordinates of the crime scene canbe used to determine the extentand type of crime in specific partsof the city.

Maps of the selected city spacesshow they have higher crime ratesthan neighbouring quarters. Thetypes of crime are usually vandal-ism, violence, theft and robbery.These areas are also places wheremany people meet and gather,which is one reason for the highercrime rates. Physical features suchas the layout and maintenance ofstreets, squares and parks alsoplay a role for the extent of crimewhile also being vital to users

perception of safety in the city.


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Published by:The Danish Crime PreventionCouncil and the Danish BuildingResearch Institute (SBi), AalborgUniversity

Authors:Helle Nrgaard, senior researcherand Slvi Brresen, researcherboth SBi

Photos:Chiliarkiv: front and back coversThorkild r: pages 9 top, 11 bot-tom, 12 top, 15, 16, 19 and 20Pernille Arborg: pages 7, 8, 9 bot-tom, 10, 11 top, 12 bottom, 13, 17,18, 19 bottom, 22-25.www.flicker.com/pho-tos/88187767@N00/347689246/page 14

Layout:

Ulla Skov, The Danish Crime Pre-vention Council

Printing:Prinfo Kge

Print run:1000

ISBN: 978-87-88789-82-9DKR no.: 08-401-0229

This publication can be orderedfrom:The Danish Crime PreventionCouncilOdinsvej 19, 2nd floorDK-2600 GlostrupTel.: +45 43 44 88 88E-mail: [email protected]

or downloaded from www.dkr.dk /www.sbi.dk

Copying permitted with statementof source.


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Efforts to create urban space for everyone are challenged by a

dilemma of safety versus crime. This report describes the resultsof a study of city life and users perceptions of urban space.

F

oto:SisseJarner/chiliarkiv.d

k

Documents

Urban Space for Everyone