Urban public places are an essential contributor to our health and wellbeing. Denser city living will be an increasingly important feature of Aotearoa New Zealand’s cities in future, but increased demand for these spaces exacerbates existing inequities that impact how safe we feel. 

In this paper from WSP and the Helen Clark Foundation, Research Fellow Anne Cunningham focuses on how crime and the perception of risk of personal crime impacts on our cities.

We must make our streets and public spaces safer, more accessible, and more appealing so urban public space is open to all who need and want to use it. Anne's paper investigates how some groups within society modify and limit their use of urban public space, and how recent thinking on Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) can contribute to safer cities. 

It includes a range of recommendations for decision-makers, including:

• Convening a national forum for dialogue on safety in Aotearoa New Zealand’s urban public spaces – involving central and local government, and community stakeholders.
• Updating national and local authority Crime Prevention through Environmental Design guidance to better reflect contemporary understanding of safer city design and Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique cultural context. 
• Developing guidance that better supports local authorities to integrate their urban design and social wellbeing functions.  
• Developing a learning pathway for the spatial design profession in relation to safer city design.