Archive for the 'Odds & Ends' Category
I Am & We Are
This seems like a great way to kick off 2012 and share something special with all those that follow us through our blog or twitter. “I AM” is a great documentary that helps us realize that we are all connected. Since I remain passionate about communities and how we socialize on a daily basis I am excited to share this with you and hope you will do the same. I don’t often order videos in bulk to share with my friends and various organizations but this was an exception.
This film certainly got me thinking about a lot of things! How we connect with each other and how we can strive to improve this process is worth thinking about, especially from a community standpoint. There are some great things to ponder since the movies release, like how our communities and cities are designed. I Am suggests that we design them around the idea that we are separate. However, I would argue that we are getting much better at urban planning and are realizing the benefits of creating spaces that attract people to them and encourage ownership.
No commentsGetting Creative About Community Safety
Isn’t it interesting how, when people have been traveling to the world’s most popular tourist destinations, they come home with tales about great streets? Colourful memories about buskers, street artists, great little restaurants, unique shops selling stuff that’s cool and original.
Some of those same people, once home from New York and Paris and Montreal and Vancouver, fail to see the potential in their own home town. Back in the day-to-day grind of going to work, taking kids to school, and meeting obligations, it’s easy to revert to thinking just about one’s own home and a handful of key destinations in the community.
Steve asked me to contribute some thoughts to this blog because he knows that I’m passionate about great streets. I believe that great communities are created, for the most part, in the public sphere – outdoor spaces and common spaces where we interact with one another.
This involves the design of buildings, streets, parks and other spaces. Watch how streets work and notice how they encourage or discourage behaviors. CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) of course looks at design that discourages criminal behavior – avoiding hiding places, keeping areas lit and so on.
But beyond discouraging criminals, it’s interesting to notice how much our physical environment influences our everyday behavior, often without us being consciously aware of its influence. One downtown retail specialist I heard at a conference noted how our shopping behavior is influenced by blank or empty spaces. If we are browsing down a retail street, window shopping and popping in here and there, and come upon either a large building with blank walls or an empty space (including parking lots), we instinctively reverse direction. We have subconsciously decided that it’s not worth our effort, or perhaps a little risky, to leave the cluster of retail shops in hopes that there might be more beyond the blank spaces.
So successful urban design is a complex and subtle art. But we know that in addition to structural design, the planning and encouraging of street activity is important. We are safe, and we feel safe, when we are surrounded by others.
I love the stuff that community activists are doing at www.livablestreets.com. Their focus is on all the potential constructive activities that can happen on well designed streets – streets that not only move cars but encourage people to walk, shop, stop to talk to one another, sit and people-watch or watch performers.
Another positive approach to development is Appreciative Inquiry – an approach that helps groups of people focus on creating their ideal future. The key here is creating – not complaining, attacking, or ‘going to war’ against this problem or that. A war mentality and language will give you just that – war.
I like Steve’s approach on this blog site: “helping create safe communities and neighbourhoods.” They key word there, I think, is “create.”
Safe and healthy communities are creative places – where kids, adults, and seniors are all engaged in doing great things. Did you know that the presence of children’s chalk art on a city street slows cars? I was reminded of this while walking down a street in Victoria’s Fairfield neighbourhood, where I live part-time. There in the middle of the street were a bunch of kids’ chalk drawings, along with a message “slow down, children at play” – in chalk.
The kids in that neighbourhood are safer in their streets because they live in them – they don’t fear them and stay locked up in “safety” indoors.
I am also encouraged by the potential for social media – Facebook, Twitter and many others – to contribute to our sense of community. Contrary to what many would assume, much social media activity online actually involves discussion about our face-to-face communities – that ‘real world’ out there on our streets and in our parks.
So the answers to community safety, in my mind, start with active, engaged citizens who care enough to interact with one another in public spaces – and work to design those spaces so that they encourage, rather than discourage, community life.
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Lorne Daniel is a writer, communications consultant and strategic planner whose work (www.grandviewconsulting.com) has won awards from the Canadian Institute of Planners and International Downtown Association. You can subscribe to his blog at www.lornedaniel.com and follow him on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LorneDaniel
2 commentsGangland Tours in LA
I can only assume that Crime Prevention and Security professionals around the world are shaking their heads about this new business venture in Los Angeles. The story first made headlines in January and it adds an entirely new dimension to what is often referred to as entrepreneurial spirit. For $65 bucks, tourists can jump on a bus and take a behind the scenes tour of this cities gang turf. Various media giants reported on this story again last week.
For those adrenalin junkies this may sound like fun but the risk factor is right up there with entering a battle zone in some far off jungle wearing nothing but a “speedo” and a bright red tank top. Yes, those entering the danger zone must sign waivers acknowledging that they could be taking their last bus ride. As an added precaution, organizers use an “unmarked” chartered coach. Wow, I bet that provides a lot of comfort to those on tour. Take cover, there is more …
No commentsMy Grown Up Christmas Wish
I suppose we all have our favorite Christmas songs but for me this one never grows old. As we quickly approach the holiday season let’s remember the less fortunate and all those that serve to protect us each and every day.
So here’s my lifelong wish
My grown up Christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Everyone would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up Christmas list
Red Deer College Students Hold Great Potential
By: Steve Woolrich
The RDC slogan is certainly thought provoking and after meeting some of the students from Sociology 325A earlier today, I was impressed. I was invited by their instructor to speak on the subject of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). It took me back to my college days when we had the privilege of having guest speakers come in and share their experience on various subjects. I wondered how the class would react but it was quickly evident that the subject matter was of interest, what a relief.
My presentation highlighted the key principles of CPTED, also available on this site. However, this class currently studying criminology received my pictorial version. A picture paints a thousand words and in this case, photos can be a very powerful way of learning the impact CPTED can have on any physical space. It was interesting to see some of the class reactions and there were some great questions raised by these upcoming professionals.
In one of the handouts I was given in preparation for my visit, an anonymous quote read “Crime, like disease, is not interesting; it is something to be done away with by general consent, and that is all about it.” I suggested that our mission should be to empower communities to reduce the incidence and fear of crime by supporting a proactive, comprehensive and sustainable approach to crime prevention. These students will be the next generation of experts in professions such as sociology, criminology, policing, security and corrections. Their future actions should not be underestimated and they do “understand” the important roles they will play. I concluded with a quote from John F. Kennedy that reads “There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”
No commentsKey Control – The Answer!
By: Ron Taylor – Owner of Protec Security Systems
We’ve all seen him…we may even be him! There are enough keys hanging from his belt to ensure hip problems in later life and enough racket while walking to alert others within a five block radius that he is passing through. Each and every key has its vital role and must be available when needed…even if half of them haven’t been needed for months.
We’ve all seen one…we may even be in charge of one! A key box that when opened revels such a cluttered mess even Rain man could not count them all. Again, they are all of highest importance to the operation and must be in the box when needed…even if the keys you really need right now are somewhat elusive.
The worst case is this: you need a key now and yet it does not seem to be where it should be. Did I lose it myself? Did someone else take the key? You ask around but no one is admitting to having it. What to do? After all it is the master key to the warehouse. Of course you know what to do…re-key. Last time this happened it cost $3,800.00. That was only six months ago.
No commentsOn Crime and Punishment
And this also, though the word lie heavy upon your hearts: The murdered is not unaccountable for his own murder, And the robbed is not blameless in being robbed. The righteous is not innocent of the deeds of the wicked, And the white-handed is not clean in the doings of the felon. Yea, the guilty is oftentimes the victim of the injured, And still more often the condemned is the burden bearer for the guiltless and unblamed
(Gibran: Excerpt from “On Crime and Punishment”)
Khalil Gibran
Complete version of “On Crime & Punishment” and other works from “The Prophet”
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