Popular in Professional

Human Rights Law

Human Rights and Corruption: Problems and Potential of Individualising a Systemic Problem

Max Planck Institute Anne Peters

Law

A statistical approach to law school citation rankings

University of Virginia Joshua Fischman

Education

High school change

Boston College Andrew Hargreaves

Constitutional Law

What is constitutional ideology?

University of Oxford Nick Barber

Civil Procedure Law

Politics, Identity, and Class Certification on the U.S. Courts of Appeals

University of Pennsylvania Sean Farhang

Culture and Society

The City as a Growth Machine: Toward a Political Economy of Place

New York University Harvey Moltoch

Education

The Role of Education in Reducing Racial Inequality

University of Southern California Pedro A. Noguera

Eyes on the street: the role of ‘third places’ in improving perceived neighbourhood safety

View more insights in Professional - Architecture - Urban Design

View more figures from Griffith University

View the page of Gordon Holden

Read the Study

Next in Architecture

Cities and Rivers

Iñaki N Alday Sanz | Tulane University

Architecture in Dialogue with an Activated Ground

Urs Bette | University of Adelaide

Gordon Holden discusses the role of ‘third places’ in improving perceived neighbourhood safety

Image courtesy of interviewee. September 25, 2024

Log-in or Sign-up to Faculti
Currently viewing this subject insight as a guest. You have insight(s) remaining for this month. Login to view 8000+ figures on the platform.

Generating Workspace...

Export as PDF

In 2017, editors Carol Bosman and Joanne Pasco collected contributions for the book "Rethinking Third Places: Informal Public Space and Community Building." This video project aimed to reexamine Ray Oldenburg's 1989 theory on "third places," which are informal public spaces that enhance social capital and neighborhood safety. Oldenburg categorized places into three types: first places (home), second places (work), and third places (cafes, parks, etc.).

The book addresses the evolution of third place theory in light of the digital communication revolution and highlights new contexts and examples. It features various chapters covering feminist perspectives, child-friendly spaces, and the connection between third places and social capital.

The author discusses their interest in the role of third places in enhancing neighborhood safety and explores the concept of "eyes on the street," popularized by urbanist Jane Jacobs. Jacobs argued that active public spaces create natural surveillance that can deter crime.

A significant part of the research involves analyzing the Gold Coast, Queensland, through eight case studies that examined different urban forms and socio-economic profiles. It highlights that while third places can foster community, perceptions of safety can differ from actual safety, with high activity not always correlating to lower crime.

The findings indicate that more secure environments often have preferable physical conditions (like good lighting and surveillance), but can also promote reclusiveness, as seen in gated communities. Conversely, busy shopping streets may have third places that offer eyes on the street yet still experience high crime rates, suggesting a complex relationship between the presence of third places and safety.

The author emphasizes the need for tailored urban planning strategies to create effective and safe community spaces, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Further research is called for to assess the impacts of digital environments on social cohesion and safety, particularly post-COVID-19, highlighting the importance of physical places in fostering community interaction.

Language:

Export as PDF

Export as PDF
Here are five key points from the video:

1. **The Concept of Third Places**: The video discusses the idea of third places, which are informal public spaces (e.g., cafes, parks, or libraries) important for community building and social capital, as articulated by Ray Oldenburg in his 1989 book *The Great Good Place*. These places are positioned as crucial between the home (first place) and workplace (second place) for fostering social interactions and contributing to neighborhood safety.

2. **Impact of Digital Communication**: Since the late 1980s, the rise of digital and personal communication has changed how people engage with third places. The need for contemporary analysis of third places arises from how these developments might challenge Oldenburg's theory, indicating that new examples and approaches to understanding third places are necessary.

3. **Research Methodology and Findings**: The research involved detailed case studies in Gold Coast, Queensland, analyzing various neighborhoods with different urban types, densities, and socioeconomic profiles in relation to the presence of third places and their influence on perceived and actual safety. It was found that communities with strong engagement and well-designed environments showed increased perceptions of safety.

4. **Eyes on the Street Concept**: The video references Jane Jacobs' concept of "eyes on the street," which suggests that active community engagement in public spaces can deter crime. Jacobs emphasized that urban safety relies not just on surveillance but also on fostering vibrant, diverse neighborhoods. However, the research reveals that simply having third places does not guarantee safety, and crime can still occur in busy areas.

5. **Recommendations for Urban Planning**: The findings suggest that urban planners must consider the complex interrelationships in neighborhoods to promote third places effectively. A tailored approach to planning and maintaining urban environments is required rather than applying blanket solutions. Additionally, there’s a need for further research on how digital environments and pandemic-related changes affect community engagement and perceptions of safety in urban settings.

Export as PDF
Here are some key quotes extracted from the video regarding third places, community, and safety:

1. **On the concept of third places:**
- “Third places are important contributors to social capital with consequences for neighborhood safety.”
- “Oldenburg sums up third places as, ‘anchors of community life where you relax in public, where you encounter familiar faces and make new acquaintances.’”

2. **On the role of urban environments:**
- “Active and engaged individuals in a community can help deter crime.”
- “Jacobs proposed that people who consciously or even unconsciously use public spaces…generate natural surveillance of space.”

3. **On perceived vs. actual safety:**
- “I was especially interested in the interface between perceived and actual safety.”
- “The literature showed that no simple model can explain human behavior in typical constructed environments.”

4. **On the importance of community and third places:**
- “Third places alone cannot create community cohesion and a sense of security.”
- “The presence of high numbers of third places alone is insufficient to deter crime.”

5. **On urban planning and community building:**
- “Urban planners and local governments have numerous tools available to promote urban elements such as public works, maintenance, street lighting, signage, zoning, and development control.”
- “A key recommendation…is to avoid a blanket or panacea approach.”

6. **On the influence of digital environments:**
- “Further research is needed to identify what has changed, potentially leading to how to provide community building opportunities and how to improve perceived and actual neighborhood safety.”
- “Further research is also needed to investigate the impact of the rapidly expanding digital devices and social media environments on people's sense of safety.”

7. **On the relationship between safety, crime, and community structure:**
- “The literature suggests that the perception of safety in such communities is higher than for regular suburbs.”
- “Gated communities actually displace the potential crime to adjacent areas, so it's not…contributing to the betterment of the wider social community.”

These quotes encapsulate key themes in the video about the role of third places, community dynamics, safety perceptions, urban design, and the impact of modern technology.

Export as PDF
Here are some similar articles and videos regarding the themes of third places, community building, urban safety, and the impact of digital environments on social interactions:

1. **"The Great Good Place" by Ray Oldenburg**: This seminal work expands on the concept of third places and emphasizes their importance for community building and fostering social ties.

2. **"Urban Spaces: The Role of Third Places in Community Development"**: This article examines how urban design and informal public spaces contribute to social cohesion and overall community well-being.

3. **"Eyes on the Street: Jane Jacobs and the Safety of Neighborhoods"**: An analysis of Jane Jacobs' theories about urban safety and the dynamics of public spaces, discussing how they influence community safety and interactions.

4. **"Civic Life in America: New Measures of Social Capital"**: This study explores the indicators and roles of social capital in various community settings, addressing how third places can contribute positively to civic engagement.

5. **"Rethinking Public Space: The Impact of Digital Communication on Community Interaction"**: This article explores the changes in public space usage and community interaction due to the rise of digital technology, providing insights into new forms of engagement.

6. **"The Role of Safe Public Spaces in Urban Environments"**: A thorough investigation of how the design of public spaces affects crime rates and perceptions of safety within different communities.

7. **"Gated Communities: Safety and Social Isolation"**: This article discusses the dichotomy between the perceived safety of gated communities versus the social isolation they often foster.

8. **"Community Resilience Post-COVID-19: The Importance of Physical Spaces"**: This research highlights how the pandemic has shifted community interactions and the renewed interest in physical spaces that encourage social connectivity.

These articles similarly explore the intersections of urban design, social capital, and safety, reflecting the themes presented in your original video.

X-TIMESTAMP-MAP:LOCAL=00:00:00.000,MPEGTS=900000

00:00.025 --> 00:04.165
In 2017, editors, Carol Bosman

00:04.165 --> 00:07.685
and Joanne Pasco invited several contributors

00:07.705 --> 00:10.285
to prepare a chapter submission,

00:10.345 --> 00:14.525
for a forthcoming book titled, rethinking Third Places,

00:15.305 --> 00:18.685
subtitled in Informal Public Space

00:18.865 --> 00:19.965
and Community Building.

00:20.785 --> 00:24.165
It was subsequently pub published by Edward Alga.

00:25.185 --> 00:27.805
Uh, the motivation was to revisit

00:28.385 --> 00:30.645
Ray Oldenberg an American.

00:31.305 --> 00:36.045
His 19, 89 theory presented in a book called Great,

00:37.145 --> 00:38.405
good Places.

00:39.735 --> 00:41.075
And what you were saying there was

00:41.075 --> 00:44.275
that third places are important contributors

00:44.275 --> 00:47.235
to social capital with consequences

00:47.375 --> 00:49.315
for neighbor hood safety.

00:50.405 --> 00:52.355
First place is being the home,

00:52.855 --> 00:55.235
second place being the workplace.

00:55.415 --> 01:00.075
And third place is a generic term for informal places

01:00.705 --> 01:04.955
that people visit, such as coffee, shacks, cafes, bars,

01:05.685 --> 01:09.035
parks, community, buildings, libraries, plazas

01:09.055 --> 01:10.235
and, and such forth.

01:11.785 --> 01:14.805
The reason to revisit third places was

01:14.805 --> 01:17.925
that since the late 1980s, the digital

01:18.705 --> 01:22.205
and personal communication revolution had taken place,

01:23.345 --> 01:26.805
and subsequent research triggered by third place theory

01:27.505 --> 01:30.485
has been, has extended the concept somewhat.

01:31.605 --> 01:35.275
These influences may challenge Oldenburg's theory,

01:36.095 --> 01:38.075
and it was thought that a contemporary approach

01:38.295 --> 01:40.035
and new examples were needed.

01:42.095 --> 01:46.635
Topics addressed, by chapters in the book,

01:47.595 --> 01:50.595
contributors including, feminist perspective,

01:51.325 --> 01:54.035
child friendly places, places

01:54.215 --> 01:57.035
and social capital, places in transit.

01:57.535 --> 01:59.475
But in all, there were 11 chapters.

01:59.555 --> 02:00.635
I won't go through all of them.

02:02.235 --> 02:05.915
I chose to engage with the potential of third places

02:06.695 --> 02:10.795
to contribute to neighborhood safety with implications

02:10.895 --> 02:12.075
for community building.

02:12.615 --> 02:16.315
And because of my longstanding interest in pedestrian use

02:16.695 --> 02:18.035
of the urban environment,

02:19.155 --> 02:21.635
I was especially interested in the interface

02:21.635 --> 02:24.995
between perceived and actual safety,

02:25.935 --> 02:28.955
and in the role of third places that generate

02:29.465 --> 02:32.995
eyes on the street for different neighborhood urban types.

02:33.335 --> 02:37.035
The concept of eyes on the Street was popularized by

02:37.715 --> 02:39.635
a very famous, urbanist

02:40.145 --> 02:43.115
Jane Jacobs in 1961.

02:43.545 --> 02:45.075
Through her book, death

02:45.175 --> 02:47.155
and Life of Great American Cities,

02:48.695 --> 02:51.955
Jacobs concluded from her observation of urban areas

02:52.945 --> 02:56.955
that active and engaged individuals in a community can help

02:57.055 --> 02:58.475
de deter crime.

02:59.825 --> 03:01.925
She proposed that people who consciously

03:02.025 --> 03:05.005
or even unconsciously use public spaces

03:05.865 --> 03:09.205
or observe them from their homes generate natural

03:09.805 --> 03:10.845
surveillance of space.

03:12.205 --> 03:15.745
And this deters criminal activity,

03:16.215 --> 03:18.945
this was all speculation on, on her part,

03:19.765 --> 03:20.825
but she suggests

03:20.825 --> 03:24.345
that would be perpetrators avoid being in sight of others

03:24.925 --> 03:25.985
who may report them.

03:27.565 --> 03:31.785
Jacobs also proposed that urban safety isn't just about

03:32.425 --> 03:37.265
surveillance, but is also also about fostering the vitality

03:37.765 --> 03:40.905
and diversity essential for a socially

03:41.245 --> 03:43.305
and culturally healthy city.

03:44.495 --> 03:45.785
Aspects of,

03:45.785 --> 03:49.185
that Jacobs did not investigate in depth were the

03:49.185 --> 03:53.705
perspectives of perceived and actual safety.

03:54.065 --> 03:55.705
I approached the research by first

03:56.375 --> 03:59.385
reviewing international literature, related

03:59.445 --> 04:02.065
to the subject to establish key criteria

04:02.615 --> 04:05.625
that could potentially be researched in the field.

04:06.325 --> 04:07.665
Now, this, this is an area

04:07.855 --> 04:11.025
that I've had long standing interest in, so much

04:11.025 --> 04:12.825
of the literature I was familiar with,

04:13.045 --> 04:16.745
but I did, I did review it, for the purpose

04:16.805 --> 04:17.945
of of, of this work.

04:18.965 --> 04:23.465
The literature showed that no simple model can explain human

04:24.145 --> 04:26.825
behavior in typical constructed environments.

04:27.735 --> 04:31.665
Such environments exhibit complex interrelationships

04:31.665 --> 04:34.225
of relationships of multidimensional aspects.

04:34.725 --> 04:37.745
If you've got, you know, multipliers in there, that,

04:37.745 --> 04:42.105
makes everything rather complicated to Inca

04:42.245 --> 04:44.225
to engage in case study field work.

04:44.285 --> 04:46.425
Key elements identified from the literature were,

04:46.535 --> 04:51.465
were extracted, scoping across types of urban form,

04:51.935 --> 04:54.345
different occupation densities

04:54.805 --> 04:57.465
and different socioeconomic profiles.

04:58.575 --> 05:00.785
This allowed exposure of broad issues,

05:01.565 --> 05:05.105
and it also allowed conclusions that may generate,

05:05.105 --> 05:08.305
generalization, conclusions.

05:09.635 --> 05:12.305
Eight case studies were undertaken at the

05:12.305 --> 05:13.385
Gold Coast Queensland.

05:13.485 --> 05:16.145
Now the Gold Coast is where I live, where I am now.

05:16.815 --> 05:20.625
It's a city of approximately 650,000 people.

05:21.215 --> 05:23.825
It's the fastest growing city in Australia.

05:25.415 --> 05:30.285
There were four study areas that I chose with two different

05:30.545 --> 05:33.925
but adjacent sites, in each area,

05:34.195 --> 05:35.525
neighborhoods call them.

05:36.625 --> 05:39.845
The idea being to investigate a range of urban types,

05:40.845 --> 05:41.885
a range of densities

05:42.385 --> 05:46.285
and socioeconomic profiles that had a range of

05:47.115 --> 05:49.405
occurrences of third places.

05:49.745 --> 05:53.605
So the new dimension of third places come, comes into play

05:54.585 --> 05:55.845
at a more detailed level,

05:56.515 --> 06:00.455
predictable third places were tested for their presence.

06:00.475 --> 06:04.735
In each of the case studies, further elements identified

06:05.285 --> 06:08.175
from the literature that may influence neighborhood safety

06:08.885 --> 06:13.655
were tested for their presence, including accessibility,

06:13.765 --> 06:18.535
well constructed and maintained environments, lighting

06:19.505 --> 06:22.015
night, nighttime lighting activity level.

06:23.065 --> 06:27.005
The literature revealed that people's sense of safety

06:27.585 --> 06:31.645
mainly related to two aspects, personal violation

06:32.745 --> 06:35.685
and burglary and burglary is seen

06:35.745 --> 06:37.965
as a violation of another type.

06:39.525 --> 06:43.665
The case study research was cons considerably aided

06:44.445 --> 06:48.615
through accessing what was then available the international

06:49.295 --> 06:53.175
internet accessible Queensland crime map.

06:53.565 --> 06:54.695
Just a footnote here

06:55.285 --> 06:57.495
that this has subsequently been taken down

06:57.495 --> 06:58.535
from the internet.

06:58.555 --> 07:01.055
It was freely available at the time,

07:02.035 --> 07:05.415
but, apparently, a number

07:05.415 --> 07:07.655
of people became rather concerned

07:07.655 --> 07:11.335
that anybody could look up their own neighborhood, see

07:11.335 --> 07:12.335
where their house is,

07:12.755 --> 07:15.015
and look at all of the criminal activity

07:15.015 --> 07:16.375
that was going on around them.

07:16.915 --> 07:18.975
And, and it was thought that this,

07:19.045 --> 07:22.385
this wasn't in the best interest of society.

07:23.445 --> 07:26.185
Um, but this is a digital data bank

07:26.405 --> 07:29.185
of all crimes recorded in Queensland.

07:29.255 --> 07:31.305
Over a 10 to 15 year period,

07:32.245 --> 07:36.185
crimes are categorized under standard classifications in,

07:36.205 --> 07:40.745
in the police world, with their location, the date

07:41.125 --> 07:44.355
and time of the crime event,

07:44.615 --> 07:46.355
and whether the crime was solved.

07:47.175 --> 07:51.025
The data can be viewed two dimensionally

07:51.725 --> 07:54.745
at neighborhood plan level that shows every building

07:55.285 --> 07:57.545
and the land use and streets.

07:58.735 --> 08:03.025
When the studied neighborhood was cross referred to Bureau

08:03.245 --> 08:07.265
of Census data, reasonably reliable people, density

08:07.845 --> 08:12.225
and socioeconomic profiles were able to be identified.

08:12.445 --> 08:15.305
My background is first of all in architecture

08:15.965 --> 08:19.865
and secondly in urban design, mainly in education,

08:20.285 --> 08:21.545
but with some practice

08:21.925 --> 08:23.145
and certainly in research,

08:23.775 --> 08:26.025
I've been an academic most of my career.

08:28.335 --> 08:31.675
Uh, following my undergraduate qualifications in

08:31.675 --> 08:34.755
architecture, I completed a ma completed a Master

08:35.215 --> 08:37.635
of Urban Design in 1976.

08:37.945 --> 08:40.795
That was actually at Manchester University, England,

08:41.455 --> 08:45.395
and later a PhD titled Epistemology

08:45.775 --> 08:50.315
of City Center Urban Design Guidelines, A study

08:50.375 --> 08:51.795
of the Australian Scene.

08:52.615 --> 08:55.645
So you can sense from this that I'm looking for

08:55.785 --> 09:00.645
how design intervention through guidelines can address,

09:00.645 --> 09:03.565
the improvement of performance of urban areas,

09:04.805 --> 09:07.545
and both qualifications exposed me to wide range

09:07.545 --> 09:08.905
of theories and practices.

09:09.485 --> 09:13.345
Uh, to, to that end, during my career,

09:13.625 --> 09:15.825
I elected on theories, concepts

09:15.885 --> 09:20.145
and practice in urban design, which included design measures

09:20.575 --> 09:23.305
that can be taken to improve personal safety.

09:24.535 --> 09:26.465
I've supervised several PhDs

09:26.465 --> 09:28.105
and master's research projects

09:28.615 --> 09:31.985
that scope across the subject, and I've researched

09:32.145 --> 09:35.105
and published on aspects of the subject with,

09:35.785 --> 09:37.705
I haven't counted them all out, probably 10

09:37.725 --> 09:41.745
or 15, publications that,

09:42.295 --> 09:44.305
that touch on the subject in different ways.

09:44.605 --> 09:47.425
I'm going to connect here, with first

09:47.425 --> 09:50.905
of all the literature, beyond oldenberg.

09:51.275 --> 09:55.145
There is considerable literature of relevance to the concept

09:55.565 --> 09:57.185
of third places and safety

09:58.685 --> 10:01.905
key influential publications are Appleton, the experience

10:01.905 --> 10:06.425
of Landscape, Cal Horn, design out crime gal, cities

10:06.525 --> 10:08.105
for people, hillier

10:08.805 --> 10:12.745
and evidence based approach to crime and urban design.

10:13.445 --> 10:16.705
Uh, lowen perceived safety from crime in the urban

10:16.705 --> 10:20.425
environment, and minary measuring crime prevention

10:20.425 --> 10:24.705
through environmental design, as well as Newman,

10:25.055 --> 10:28.865
with his seminal work on defensible space.

10:29.765 --> 10:33.625
Now, just as an observation, these are all English

10:34.625 --> 10:36.225
speaking authors,

10:36.285 --> 10:40.185
mostly from the United States of America and England,

10:40.205 --> 10:44.665
but also one or two from Australia across the literature.

10:45.685 --> 10:49.875
Third places and eyes on the Street are not necessarily

10:51.035 --> 10:53.315
explicitly referred to in those terms,

10:54.015 --> 10:56.515
but the underlying concepts are present.

10:57.885 --> 11:00.375
Oldenberg sums up third places as,

11:00.475 --> 11:04.135
and I quote, anchors of community life

11:04.665 --> 11:06.295
where you relax in public,

11:06.825 --> 11:08.615
where you encounter familiar faces

11:09.195 --> 11:10.855
and make new acquaintances.

11:11.715 --> 11:16.695
He goes on to say what suburbia cries out for are the means

11:16.795 --> 11:20.495
for people to gather easily, inexpensively,

11:21.405 --> 11:25.665
regularly, and ably a place on the corner.

11:27.075 --> 11:30.485
Here I'm reminded of the theme song

11:30.825 --> 11:32.965
of the 1980s sitcom series.

11:33.505 --> 11:38.205
Cheers. If you, if you've seen that, you'll, you'll,

11:38.205 --> 11:41.765
you'll hear the echoes of where everybody knows your name

11:42.065 --> 11:45.525
and are glad you came more broadly,

11:45.955 --> 11:49.245
most third places in contemporary neighborhoods are not

11:49.265 --> 11:51.165
as intimate as in cheers,

11:51.745 --> 11:53.925
but many of the nodding acquaintance's

11:53.925 --> 11:55.885
characteristics are present.

11:57.165 --> 12:00.585
The concept of third places has spread widely

12:01.015 --> 12:03.905
with numerous countries having adopted guidelines

12:04.565 --> 12:07.625
for designing urban environments that are conducive

12:07.965 --> 12:09.425
to building social capital

12:10.045 --> 12:12.905
and are intended to reduce urban crime.

12:14.005 --> 12:17.475
These embrace principles derive from both eyes on the street

12:17.935 --> 12:19.075
and third places.

12:20.315 --> 12:24.075
A fa familiar reference that is used a a across most

12:24.075 --> 12:25.355
of the English speaking world

12:25.735 --> 12:30.155
and translated elsewhere is Sted, an acronym

12:30.495 --> 12:33.915
for crime prevention through environmental design,

12:34.605 --> 12:39.035
which is often inserted as a compliance requirement,

12:39.095 --> 12:40.155
for new developments

12:40.295 --> 12:43.155
and for the rehabilitation of existing,

12:43.775 --> 12:44.915
urban environments.

12:46.725 --> 12:49.525
Fascinating. I love, I love Cheers, especially Sam Malone.

12:49.645 --> 12:51.205
Really good. Anyway, let's keep going.

12:51.495 --> 12:54.205
Urban planners, how can they promote the development

12:54.205 --> 12:55.605
of third places going forward?

12:58.235 --> 13:02.335
Um, the, some key factors here, of the eight,

13:02.715 --> 13:06.175
and I'll refer now to, to the field work of my study

13:06.675 --> 13:09.895
of the eight neighborhoods, neighborhoods studied

13:10.635 --> 13:13.775
the gated community retirement village,

13:14.275 --> 13:17.255
and the intentional community Eco Village

13:17.915 --> 13:20.775
had the lowest levels of actual crime.

13:21.955 --> 13:24.455
The, the literature suggests that the perception

13:24.455 --> 13:29.015
of safety in such communities is higher than

13:29.075 --> 13:30.375
for regular suburbs.

13:30.395 --> 13:32.455
So we're talking here perception,

13:32.995 --> 13:36.295
but it's also actual the sales literature

13:36.315 --> 13:38.815
for such communities emphasize safety,

13:38.985 --> 13:40.655
which inforce perception,

13:42.265 --> 13:45.715
most mentioned studies in included third places.

13:46.745 --> 13:50.515
Both of those mentioned studies include third places,

13:50.515 --> 13:53.235
including a social club community, open space,

13:53.295 --> 13:54.555
and a retail outlet.

13:55.455 --> 13:57.115
But I never considered these

13:57.255 --> 13:59.755
to be highly significant in adding

13:59.855 --> 14:01.315
to the perception of safety.

14:01.815 --> 14:06.595
For these examples, the most relevant factor for both is

14:06.595 --> 14:07.635
that there are factors

14:07.745 --> 14:10.715
that there is a strong sense of community.

14:12.015 --> 14:13.715
In the case of the gated community,

14:13.785 --> 14:16.835
this is derived from the surrounding enclosure,

14:18.175 --> 14:22.195
fenced place, high levels of maintenance, good lighting,

14:23.015 --> 14:27.035
the diligence of occupants, giving eyes on the street, close

14:27.795 --> 14:29.355
neighborhood relationships

14:30.405 --> 14:32.945
and closed circuit security cameras,

14:33.765 --> 14:37.265
and of course the security gate that restricted access.

14:38.485 --> 14:41.545
In the case of the ego village, there's a strong sense

14:41.545 --> 14:42.545
of community also,

14:43.845 --> 14:47.785
but here the underpinning value is that of sustainability,

14:49.525 --> 14:52.685
the diligence of the occupants, giving eyes on the street,

14:53.775 --> 14:57.205
close neighbors, surveillance cameras, good lighting

14:57.745 --> 14:58.885
and high maintenance.

15:01.125 --> 15:05.535
Despite the, high performance relating to both perceived

15:06.195 --> 15:07.335
and actual safety.

15:08.295 --> 15:12.295
A downside to gated communities is that they tend

15:12.635 --> 15:13.775
to reclusiveness

15:14.515 --> 15:17.415
and have less wide neighborhood engagement,

15:18.165 --> 15:20.535
thereby not contributing much to

15:20.715 --> 15:23.535
so social capital in a wider sense.

15:25.195 --> 15:27.095
The literature also suggests that

15:27.095 --> 15:31.495
because of high security, that deters would be criminals,

15:32.265 --> 15:36.855
gated communities actually displace the potential crime

15:37.155 --> 15:41.895
to adjacent areas, so it's not, again, contributing

15:42.075 --> 15:44.495
to the betterment of the wider social community.

15:45.805 --> 15:49.985
The eco community, on the other hand, is an open access one

15:50.495 --> 15:52.425
that proudly welcomes visitors

15:52.765 --> 15:57.375
to view the numerous sustainability innovations, thus

15:57.895 --> 15:59.815
contributing positively to social capital.

16:01.315 --> 16:03.535
In the studies of the two suburbs with busy

16:04.055 --> 16:08.415
shopping streets, they had both the highest level of crime,

16:09.435 --> 16:13.055
but curiously, the highest number of third places that

16:13.335 --> 16:14.415
provided eyes on the street.

16:16.075 --> 16:17.725
This starts to challenge the theory.

16:18.845 --> 16:21.745
An explanation from criminology literature suggests

16:21.745 --> 16:25.705
that would be perpetrators of crime, find

16:25.705 --> 16:30.505
that busy places are convenient for masking their activities

16:30.815 --> 16:34.705
because the would be perpetrator blends into the crowd.

16:35.735 --> 16:38.745
Clearly, in this study, the presence of high numbers

16:39.525 --> 16:42.625
of third places alone is insufficient

16:43.045 --> 16:45.225
to de deter crime.

16:47.085 --> 16:50.295
Despite the wider community's perception,

16:50.365 --> 16:51.775
that business equates

16:51.775 --> 16:55.935
to high bus busyness equates to higher safety.

16:56.715 --> 16:58.855
The shopping streets were well maintained.

16:59.165 --> 17:01.735
They were very accessible, had surveillance cameras,

17:01.835 --> 17:02.895
and had good lighting.

17:04.825 --> 17:06.765
The crime events there were pretty,

17:06.765 --> 17:08.605
even across day and nighttime.

17:10.435 --> 17:13.975
The, the two regular suburbs had a medium level of crime,

17:14.135 --> 17:16.015
a medium level of eyes on the street,

17:16.315 --> 17:18.135
and a medium number of third places.

17:19.125 --> 17:22.575
They had high levels of night lighting, pri a lot

17:22.575 --> 17:24.415
of PR private surveillance.

17:25.275 --> 17:28.575
Uh, they were well maintained and were very accessible.

17:28.625 --> 17:33.335
These are mid to high socioeconomic, suburbs.

17:34.705 --> 17:37.645
The lowest socioeconomic regular suburb

17:38.305 --> 17:40.085
had relatively high crime rates.

17:40.595 --> 17:42.525
Similar to that in the shopping streets.

17:43.625 --> 17:46.955
This suburb had lower maintenance of private property,

17:47.535 --> 17:51.445
but good lighting, but lighting and accessibility.

17:52.295 --> 17:54.205
There appeared to be fewer private

17:54.605 --> 17:55.845
surveillance systems present.

17:57.745 --> 17:59.925
And the eighth,

18:00.055 --> 18:03.165
study area was a rural residential suburb.

18:04.025 --> 18:08.605
It had low levels of crime, second only to the gated

18:08.745 --> 18:10.925
and the intentional communities.

18:11.615 --> 18:12.925
There were no third places,

18:13.745 --> 18:15.525
but there was a lot of open space.

18:16.645 --> 18:18.425
The suburb was very accessible

18:18.805 --> 18:22.785
for the houses spaced well apart on large portions of land,

18:23.475 --> 18:26.425
there was lower lighting than in the other study areas,

18:27.045 --> 18:31.105
but there was a high level of private surveillance,

18:31.105 --> 18:34.145
through cameras and a high level of eyes on the street

18:34.775 --> 18:38.425
with occupants being able to view the movement of strangers

18:39.005 --> 18:41.945
who were conspicuous, from a distance.

18:42.015 --> 18:44.825
What can urban planners and local governments promote

18:44.845 --> 18:47.745
and develop as suggested in the literature

18:48.605 --> 18:50.025
and confirmed in this study,

18:50.795 --> 18:55.305
third places alone cannot create con community cohesion

18:55.765 --> 18:56.985
and a sense of security.

18:57.715 --> 18:58.905
While urban planners

18:58.905 --> 19:01.465
and local governments have numerous tools available

19:01.525 --> 19:05.985
to promote urban elements such as public works, maintenance,

19:06.245 --> 19:08.585
street lighting, signage, zoning,

19:08.765 --> 19:11.705
and development control, these need

19:11.705 --> 19:13.425
to be exercised selectively

19:14.045 --> 19:15.985
and they need to fall within the context

19:16.525 --> 19:19.745
of the wider complex web of interrelationships.

19:21.025 --> 19:25.825
A key recommendation from me is to, to avoid a blanket

19:26.445 --> 19:28.345
or panacea approach.

19:30.665 --> 19:33.345
A lesson is passed to us from Kevin Lynch,

19:34.565 --> 19:37.265
who developed the concept of strengthening the image

19:37.285 --> 19:41.225
of a city using the elements of clear paths,

19:41.995 --> 19:46.115
edges, districts, nodes, landmarks, which he identified

19:46.425 --> 19:47.875
through studying a city.

19:48.895 --> 19:50.835
He saw these elements as essential

19:51.335 --> 19:53.155
for the memorability of that city.

19:54.135 --> 19:56.745
However, these elements were taken up by planners

19:56.745 --> 20:01.105
and governments as reliable criteria to apply to places

20:01.765 --> 20:03.905
to achieve high image ability.

20:05.265 --> 20:06.985
Lynch later pointed out

20:07.375 --> 20:10.585
that the essential message from his study was

20:10.585 --> 20:13.985
that every place needs to be studied in its own terms

20:14.845 --> 20:17.545
to identify what key elements are present.

20:19.055 --> 20:20.625
Regarding third places

20:20.845 --> 20:23.225
and eyes on the street, there is a need

20:23.225 --> 20:26.785
to study each neighborhood to identify opportunities

20:27.525 --> 20:28.625
and problem elements

20:28.885 --> 20:31.585
and interact them on a case by case basis.

20:33.185 --> 20:35.855
Third places and eyes on the street are pieces

20:35.995 --> 20:39.935
of the complex puzzle surrounding community building

20:40.355 --> 20:42.015
and perceived an actual safety.

20:42.965 --> 20:46.415
Circumstances at Indi, individual places vary,

20:47.295 --> 20:48.645
influenced by one

20:48.945 --> 20:50.365
or a combination of factors

20:51.115 --> 20:55.685
with urban form being significant as revealed in my study,

20:56.825 --> 21:00.605
the function of third places, their location, accessibility,

21:00.635 --> 21:04.125
opening hours, level of night lighting, quality

21:04.305 --> 21:06.645
and maintenance of adjacent buildings

21:06.645 --> 21:09.805
and spaces, surveillance apparatus

21:09.865 --> 21:12.405
and the level of nearby pedestrian vehicular

21:12.765 --> 21:14.405
activity all play a part.

21:15.505 --> 21:17.725
And all of this warrants further research

21:19.165 --> 21:23.105
beyond neighborhood safety, the capacity for the building

21:23.685 --> 21:27.345
of social capital as an essential part of the conversation,

21:28.755 --> 21:31.335
in this post covid pandemic time,

21:32.265 --> 21:34.455
which disrupted third place usage.

21:35.145 --> 21:38.595
Further research is needed to identify what has changed,

21:39.065 --> 21:40.675
potentially leading to how

21:41.175 --> 21:43.555
to provide community building opportunities

21:44.535 --> 21:48.715
and how to improve perceived and actual neighborhood safety.

21:49.715 --> 21:53.055
And in conclusion, further research is also needed

21:53.635 --> 21:56.335
to investigate the impact of the rapidly

21:57.125 --> 21:58.655
expanding digital devices

21:58.755 --> 22:03.215
and social media environments on people's sense

22:03.235 --> 22:07.575
of safety and on personal contact and the need for,

22:07.635 --> 22:12.615
and the role of physical places to improve social cohesion.

Rethinking Third Places: The Intersection of Informal Public Spaces, Community Building, and Urban Safety

00:00:00 - In 2017, editors, Carol Bosman and Joanne Pasco invited several contributors to prepare a chapter submission, for a forthcoming book titled, rethinking Third Places, subtitled in Informal Public Space and Community Building. It was subsequently pub published by Edward Alga. the motivation was to revisit Ray Oldenberg an American. His 19, 89 theory presented in a book called Great, good Places. And what you were saying there was
00:00:44 - to social capital with consequences for neighbor hood safety. First place is being the home, second place being the workplace. And third place is a generic term for informal places that people visit, such as coffee, shacks, cafes, bars, parks, community, buildings, libraries, plazas and, and such forth. The reason to revisit third places was that since the late 1980s, the digital and personal communication revolution had taken place,
00:01:27 - has been, has extended the concept somewhat. These influences may challenge Oldenburg's theory, and it was thought that a contemporary approach and new examples were needed. Topics addressed, by chapters in the book, contributors including, feminist perspective, child friendly places, places and social capital, places in transit. But in all, there were 11 chapters. I won't go through all of them. I chose to engage with the potential of third places
00:02:10 - for community building. And because of my longstanding interest in pedestrian use of the urban environment, I was especially interested in the interface between perceived and actual safety, and in the role of third places that generate eyes on the street for different neighborhood urban types. The concept of eyes on the Street was popularized by a very famous, urbanist Jane Jacobs in 1961. Through her book, death and Life of Great American Cities,
00:02:52 - that active and engaged individuals in a community can help de deter crime. She proposed that people who consciously or even unconsciously use public spaces or observe them from their homes generate natural surveillance of space. And this deters criminal activity, this was all speculation on, on her part, but she suggests that would be perpetrators avoid being in sight of others who may report them. Jacobs also proposed that urban safety isn't just about
00:03:37 - and diversity essential for a socially and culturally healthy city. Aspects of, that Jacobs did not investigate in depth were the perspectives of perceived and actual safety. I approached the research by first reviewing international literature, related to the subject to establish key criteria that could potentially be researched in the field. Now, this, this is an area that I've had long standing interest in, so much of the literature I was familiar with,

"Understanding the Complexity of Human Behavior in Urban Environments: Insights from Case Studies on Third Places and Community Safety"

00:04:16 - of of, of this work. The literature showed that no simple model can explain human behavior in typical constructed environments. Such environments exhibit complex interrelationships of relationships of multidimensional aspects. If you've got, you know, multipliers in there, that, makes everything rather complicated to Inca to engage in case study field work. Key elements identified from the literature were, were extracted, scoping across types of urban form, different occupation densities
00:04:58 - This allowed exposure of broad issues, and it also allowed conclusions that may generate, generalization, conclusions. Eight case studies were undertaken at the Gold Coast Queensland. Now the Gold Coast is where I live, where I am now. It's a city of approximately 650,000 people. It's the fastest growing city in Australia. There were four study areas that I chose with two different but adjacent sites, in each area, neighborhoods call them.
00:05:40 - a range of densities and socioeconomic profiles that had a range of occurrences of third places. So the new dimension of third places come, comes into play at a more detailed level, predictable third places were tested for their presence. In each of the case studies, further elements identified from the literature that may influence neighborhood safety were tested for their presence, including accessibility, well constructed and maintained environments, lighting
00:06:23 - The literature revealed that people's sense of safety mainly related to two aspects, personal violation and burglary and burglary is seen as a violation of another type. The case study research was cons considerably aided through accessing what was then available the international internet accessible Queensland crime map. Just a footnote here that this has subsequently been taken down from the internet. It was freely available at the time,
00:07:05 - of people became rather concerned that anybody could look up their own neighborhood, see where their house is, and look at all of the criminal activity that was going on around them. And, and it was thought that this, this wasn't in the best interest of society. but this is a digital data bank of all crimes recorded in Queensland. Over a 10 to 15 year period, crimes are categorized under standard classifications in, in the police world, with their location, the date and time of the crime event,
00:07:47 - The data can be viewed two dimensionally at neighborhood plan level that shows every building and the land use and streets. When the studied neighborhood was cross referred to Bureau of Census data, reasonably reliable people, density and socioeconomic profiles were able to be identified. My background is first of all in architecture and secondly in urban design, mainly in education, but with some practice and certainly in research, I've been an academic most of my career.

"Exploring Urban Design: Educational Foundations and Influential Theories for Enhancing Community Safety"

00:08:31 - architecture, I completed a ma completed a Master of Urban Design in 1976. That was actually at Manchester University, England, and later a PhD titled Epistemology of City Center Urban Design Guidelines, A study of the Australian Scene. So you can sense from this that I'm looking for how design intervention through guidelines can address, the improvement of performance of urban areas, and both qualifications exposed me to wide range of theories and practices.
00:09:13 - I elected on theories, concepts and practice in urban design, which included design measures that can be taken to improve personal safety. I've supervised several PhDs and master's research projects that scope across the subject, and I've researched and published on aspects of the subject with, I haven't counted them all out, probably 10 or 15, publications that, that touch on the subject in different ways. I'm going to connect here, with first of all the literature, beyond oldenberg.
00:09:55 - of third places and safety key influential publications are Appleton, the experience of Landscape, Cal Horn, design out crime gal, cities for people, hillier and evidence based approach to crime and urban design. lowen perceived safety from crime in the urban environment, and minary measuring crime prevention through environmental design, as well as Newman, with his seminal work on defensible space. Now, just as an observation, these are all English
00:10:36 - mostly from the United States of America and England, but also one or two from Australia across the literature. Third places and eyes on the Street are not necessarily explicitly referred to in those terms, but the underlying concepts are present. Oldenberg sums up third places as, and I quote, anchors of community life where you relax in public, where you encounter familiar faces and make new acquaintances. He goes on to say what suburbia cries out for are the means
00:11:21 - regularly, and ably a place on the corner. Here I'm reminded of the theme song of the 1980s sitcom series. Cheers. If you, if you've seen that, you'll, you'll, you'll hear the echoes of where everybody knows your name and are glad you came more broadly, most third places in contemporary neighborhoods are not as intimate as in cheers, but many of the nodding acquaintance's characteristics are present.
00:12:01 - with numerous countries having adopted guidelines for designing urban environments that are conducive to building social capital and are intended to reduce urban crime. These embrace principles derive from both eyes on the street and third places. A fa familiar reference that is used a a across most of the English speaking world and translated elsewhere is Sted, an acronym for crime prevention through environmental design, which is often inserted as a compliance requirement,

"Exploring the Impact of Community Design on Safety and Social Capital: Insights from Urban Neighborhoods"

00:12:40 - and for the rehabilitation of existing, urban environments. Fascinating. I love, I love Cheers, especially Sam Malone. Really good. Anyway, let's keep going. Urban planners, how can they promote the development of third places going forward? the, some key factors here, of the eight, and I'll refer now to, to the field work of my study of the eight neighborhoods, neighborhoods studied the gated community retirement village, and the intentional community Eco Village had the lowest levels of actual crime.
00:13:24 - of safety in such communities is higher than for regular suburbs. So we're talking here perception, but it's also actual the sales literature for such communities emphasize safety, which inforce perception, most mentioned studies in included third places. Both of those mentioned studies include third places, including a social club community, open space, and a retail outlet. But I never considered these to be highly significant in adding to the perception of safety. For these examples, the most relevant factor for both is
00:14:07 - that there is a strong sense of community. In the case of the gated community, this is derived from the surrounding enclosure, fenced place, high levels of maintenance, good lighting, the diligence of occupants, giving eyes on the street, close neighborhood relationships and closed circuit security cameras, and of course the security gate that restricted access. In the case of the ego village, there's a strong sense of community also, but here the underpinning value is that of sustainability,
00:14:53 - close neighbors, surveillance cameras, good lighting and high maintenance. Despite the, high performance relating to both perceived and actual safety. A downside to gated communities is that they tend to reclusiveness and have less wide neighborhood engagement, thereby not contributing much to so social capital in a wider sense. The literature also suggests that because of high security, that deters would be criminals,
00:15:37 - to adjacent areas, so it's not, again, contributing to the betterment of the wider social community. The eco community, on the other hand, is an open access one that proudly welcomes visitors to view the numerous sustainability innovations, thus contributing positively to social capital. In the studies of the two suburbs with busy shopping streets, they had both the highest level of crime, but curiously, the highest number of third places that
00:16:16 - This starts to challenge the theory. An explanation from criminology literature suggests that would be perpetrators of crime, find that busy places are convenient for masking their activities because the would be perpetrator blends into the crowd. Clearly, in this study, the presence of high numbers of third places alone is insufficient to de deter crime. Despite the wider community's perception, that business equates to high bus busyness equates to higher safety.

"Examining the Role of Urban Design and Community Safety in Socioeconomic Suburbs"

00:16:59 - They were very accessible, had surveillance cameras, and had good lighting. The crime events there were pretty, even across day and nighttime. The, the two regular suburbs had a medium level of crime, a medium level of eyes on the street, and a medium number of third places. They had high levels of night lighting, pri a lot of PR private surveillance. they were well maintained and were very accessible. These are mid to high socioeconomic, suburbs. The lowest socioeconomic regular suburb
00:17:40 - Similar to that in the shopping streets. This suburb had lower maintenance of private property, but good lighting, but lighting and accessibility. There appeared to be fewer private surveillance systems present. And the eighth, study area was a rural residential suburb. It had low levels of crime, second only to the gated and the intentional communities. There were no third places, but there was a lot of open space. The suburb was very accessible
00:18:23 - there was lower lighting than in the other study areas, but there was a high level of private surveillance, through cameras and a high level of eyes on the street with occupants being able to view the movement of strangers who were conspicuous, from a distance. What can urban planners and local governments promote and develop as suggested in the literature and confirmed in this study, third places alone cannot create con community cohesion and a sense of security. While urban planners
00:19:01 - to promote urban elements such as public works, maintenance, street lighting, signage, zoning, and development control, these need to be exercised selectively and they need to fall within the context of the wider complex web of interrelationships. A key recommendation from me is to, to avoid a blanket or panacea approach. A lesson is passed to us from Kevin Lynch, who developed the concept of strengthening the image of a city using the elements of clear paths,
00:19:46 - through studying a city. He saw these elements as essential for the memorability of that city. However, these elements were taken up by planners and governments as reliable criteria to apply to places to achieve high image ability. Lynch later pointed out that the essential message from his study was that every place needs to be studied in its own terms to identify what key elements are present. Regarding third places and eyes on the street, there is a need
00:20:27 - and problem elements and interact them on a case by case basis. Third places and eyes on the street are pieces of the complex puzzle surrounding community building and perceived an actual safety. Circumstances at Indi, individual places vary, influenced by one or a combination of factors with urban form being significant as revealed in my study, the function of third places, their location, accessibility, opening hours, level of night lighting, quality

"Exploring Community Building and Safety in a Post-Pandemic World: A Call for Further Research"

00:21:06 - and spaces, surveillance apparatus and the level of nearby pedestrian vehicular activity all play a part. And all of this warrants further research beyond neighborhood safety, the capacity for the building of social capital as an essential part of the conversation, in this post covid pandemic time, which disrupted third place usage. Further research is needed to identify what has changed, potentially leading to how to provide community building opportunities
00:22:07 - And in conclusion, further research is also needed to investigate the impact of the rapidly expanding digital devices and social media environments on people's sense of safety and on personal contact and the need for, and the role of physical places to improve social cohesion.

Faculti AI can make mistakes

Faculti

Popular in Professional

Human Rights and Corruption: Problems and Potential of Individualising a Systemic Problem

A statistical approach to law school citation rankings

High school change

What is constitutional ideology?

Politics, Identity, and Class Certification on the U.S. Courts of Appeals

The City as a Growth Machine: Toward a Political Economy of Place

The Role of Education in Reducing Racial Inequality

Eyes on the street: the role of ‘third places’ in improving perceived neighbourhood safety

Next in Architecture

Guide

Platform and Category Pages

Contact Us

FAQs

What is Faculti?

How do you select interviews?

Interview Process

Page Structure

Popular in Professional

Guide

Platform and Category Pages

Contact Us

FAQs

What is Faculti?

How do you select interviews?

Interview Process

Accessibility Options

Contrast Adjustment

Text Size Adjustment

Text Spacing Adjustment

Line Height Adjustment

Cursor Size Adjustment

Page Structure Options

Page Structure