Social Amenity

2 - Social Amenity

Safety & Security

The design of buildings and places has an impact on perceptions of safety and security as well as actual opportunities to commit crime. Design for safety works by enabling casual surveillance, reinforcing territory, controlling access and managing space.

The application of the principles outlined in the NSW Police Service's 'Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design' (CPTED), promotes physical conditions that deter opportunities for criminal behaviour and aims to make our communities safer places.

Objectives

O.1To reduce crime risk and minimise opportunities for crime.
O.2To increase and contribute to the safety and perception of safety in public and semi-public spaces.
O.3To encourage the consideration and application of crime prevention principles when designing and siting buildings and spaces.
O.4To encourage dwelling layouts that facilitate safety and encourage interaction and recognition between residents.

Design Principles

P.1Development is to be designed to incorporate and/or enhance opportunities for effective natural surveillance by providing clear sight lines between public and private places, installation of effective lighting, and the appropriate landscaping of public areas.
P.2Development should be designed to minimise opportunities for crime through suitable access control. Physical or symbolic barriers should be used to attract, channel and/or restrict the movement of people. Landscaping and/or physical elements may be used to direct people to destinations, identify where people can and cannot go and restrict access to high crime risk areas such as carparks.
P.3Development is to incorporate design elements that contribute to a sense of community ownership of public spaces. Encouraging people to gather in public spaces through appropriate design techniques, helps to nurture a sense of responsibility for a place's use and condition.
P.4Definition and transition of boundaries between public and private spaces is encouraged as a method of territorial reinforcement. Methods other than gates, fences and enclosures are encouraged.
P.5The incorporation of crime prevention measures in the design of new buildings and spaces is not to detract from the quality of the streetscape. Subtle design techniques should be applied to blend into façades and places.
P.6New development is to be designed to reduce the attractiveness of crime by minimising, removing or concealing crime opportunities. The design of development should increase the possibility of detection, challenge and apprehension of persons engaged in crime.
P.7A site management plan and formal crime risk assessment (Safer by Design Evaluation) involving the NSW Police Service may be required for large developments, which in Council's opinion, would create a crime risk.
P.8Public pedestrian areas within developments as well as communal accessways within multi-unit developments are to provide non-slip pavement surfaces.

Design Standards

Residential Flat Buildings, High Density Housing and Mixed Use development

S.1Buildings should contain multiple stair/ lift cores which limit the number of dwellings with access from the circulation core.

Further Information

NSW Police Service 2001, Safer by Design
NSW Department of Urban Affairs and Planning 1979, Crime Prevention and the Assessment of Development Applications, Guidelines under Section 79C of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979.