SOCIAL HOUSING DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

1. INTRODUCTION

The principles below are derived from work done by various researchers
and architects like Oscar Newman since the 1960’s. There is a general
consensus that an appropriately planned, designed and managed
environment, will lead to reduced crime. The environment therefore plays a
significant role in influencing perceptions of safety.

The aim is to improve the physical design from a crime prevention and
resident empowerment and control viewpoint. Although it relates to crime
prevention, there are also other objectives and sound considerations which
will be enhanced through the incorporation of these principles. This
proposal therefore will provide a physical design paradigm that will have to
be complemented by the day-to-day management of the estate to ensure
that a certain standard is achieve and maintained.

Obviously, it is not a complete set of principles relating to design in general.

2. DESIGN PRINCIPLES

These principles are:

2.1 Surveillance
The extent of visual contact that residents have with space will determine
the extent to which they can intervene. Also the degree whereto people in
general are being visible, influence their conduct. This is called passive
surveillance by residents, as opposed to active surveillance which is usually
undertaken by police and security guards.

The implication therefore is that windows, doors, balconies, entrances and

openings and their positioning, as well as the distances between buildings,
size of opens spaces, etc. becomes important devices to ensure continuous
and automatic passive surveillance. These become the protective eyes that
keep a check day and night.

2.2 Visibility
Relating also to the above, surveillance can be improved or made possible
through good visibility. Dark spaces, twisting alleys which create
uncertainty, as well as hiding places, will increase the fear of crime and
reduce the degree of control by residents. The way which roads and
walkways are designed and lighting is positioned, can obviate many
problems with surveillance. Also, the purposeful response to and handling
of different levels, low points and heights can improve visibility.
2.3 Territoriality
This is about a sense of ownership and control of one’s living environment.
This is made possible when residents can relate to space and identify with
space, when it is legible to them. In general, association with private space
(your garden) will provide an incentive for the strongest degree of ownership
and therefore control. These spaces should be clearly demarcated and
boundaries should be very obvious. Another space category is the private-
public space such as playgrounds, walkways for residents, etc. Although
there is less ownership and a lesser feel for controlling it, it still remains a
semi-controlled area. The other space is purely public (main street). The
challenge is to allocate spaces according to need and clearly mark it which
will improve ownership and control.

2.4 Human scale

Relating to all the above dimensions is the need to design at a human scale
to which residents and those traveling by feet can associate. For instance,
too high buildings will disassociate the top floors with the ground floor
leading to dumping of bottles and cigarette buts. Human ergonomics and
bodily capacities determine the confines of human scale, such as distances
that people can be identified etc.

2.5 Access and escape routes

Crime hot spots are frequently those areas that are too easily accessible
and from where it is easy to escape. Properties near opens spaces, vacant
sites, dead zones and even main roads will be more susceptible to crime do
to the fact that it is easy to move in and out.

2.6 Image and aesthetics

The image that is portrayed by a building, a public space or area, will
influence the conduct of people and criminals. Dilapidated buildings will
invite criminals and thugs, badly maintained parks will invite the dumping of
garbage, quality areas which are properly lit will keep drug dealers away.
By combining low income with middle income families, by design housing
projects to appear more up-market, all these issues will assist in portraying a
building complex that is not an easy target and that does not only house the
most marginal people.

2.7 Identification with areas and spaces

When entrances are clearly marked and when transition between spaces
are obvious, then any would-be criminal will act carefully. These physical
‘landmarks’ act as symbolic announcements to the visitor and resident about
transition into a new space with new rules. The residents on the other hand
will also relate to these landmarks but in a positive manner as they will feel
at home and safe.

2.8 Target hardening

Property owners usually fence off their areas through walls which proved a
sense of safety but which compromise some of the above principles such as
 visibility etc. See-through fences are therefore an improvement as it still
allows surveillance.

2.9 Sense of community

In reducing anonymity in housing projects, the residents come to know each
other and start to watch over their movements and property. This will
enable residents to identify strangers and would-be criminals. If there is a
sense of community, then there is a sense of belonging and social support
structures start developing.

In terms of design, it is necessary to have certain socializing spaces in the

housing estate. Whether it be the entrance portal to a block of flats where
the notice board and post boxes are situated and which ‘force’ the residents
to mingle, or recreation areas where you need to pass though.

3. SOME IMPLICATIONS
The challenge that face the providers of low income housing projects are the
limited budgets and resources to draw from. Therefore a balance should be
found between keeping within the budget on the one hand and having
certain additionalities to improve appearance and surveillance, on the other
hand.

But in most of these cases, it only requires another way of designing and
positioning of certain features. All in all, the above additionalities, coupled
with another way of designing and spending the same budget, will lead to
more quality environments that are safer and more appeasing to its
residents. This aspect can not be easily quantified upfront, but will definitely
improve the demand for this housing product (less vacancies); it will also
protect the market value on housing estate and therefore investment and
reduce vandalism, as opposed to a crime-riddled property that is being
continuously down-raided.

In concrete terms, the above principles require a rethink of the following:

• Positioning of vehicular and pedestrian entrances and designing of

maneuvering spaces.
• Positioning and design of parking spaces.
• Positioning of windows, staircases.
• Positioning of and access to soft areas such as playgrounds and
crèches.
• Sight distances, length of corridors, distance between buildings and
dimensions of open spaces and length of walkways.
• Height of buildings, height of walls.
• Entrance and transition features.
• Creation of socializing spaces.
• Appearance of buildings and finishes. Two units might be designed
to appear as a single unit from the outside.
• Careful use of trees and vegetation, landscaping, surfaces, levels to
demarcate different spaces and to avoid hiding spaces.
• Allocation of residents on different levels in multi-storey complexes to
suit individual and design/communal requirements.
• Attraction of other complimentary activities onto the site (playgrounds,
crèches, public phones, post points, canteens, storage, clinics).
• Provision of private spaces (such as private gardens) and public-
private spaces (playgrounds), and how it will be positioned and
marked.

In conclusion, the simultaneous incorporation of these design principles

can prove to be difficult as some principles may work against the others.
It therefore requires the skillful and mindful application there-of.

Apart from the above on-site interventions, the surrounding environment,

and adjacent properties, access roads and vacant sites, etc. all should
be assessed and recommendations made about its maintenance and
improvement in terms of security, image improvement and need for law
enforcement, etc.

Prepared by:
Lukas van der Merwe
DBSA Project Manager
Dec 2005