World Urban Forum

Government and city administrators should implement these recommendations for equitable society Barrister Samuel Ojeah

I agree with all the suggested solution to make our environment equitable and habitable for us all.

Thank you for creating this topic. It raises another relevant point - that concerned with how societies manage illegalities and criminalities. It is clear that certain groups in society are more likely to commit offenses and enter the criminal justice system, due to their historical experiences of dispossession and lack of access to income and welfare opportunities. Treating all people in society according to the same standards of justice may therefore encourage persistent inequality.

Does anyone else have thoughts on how the 'safer cities' and equity agendas interlink?

inequalities if not checked breeds injustice which are pronounced more in our growing cities. Then we are faced with security challenges as expressed through unruly individual acts desperate to survive. Hungry men, women, children in our city streets; no jobs, no home what future?

Vigilante justice can bring many unhappy surprises. If we look at the recent Zimmerman case in USA, or the Sialkot lynch mobs in Pakistan, we begin to see there is something unsettling when citizens start administering law and order.

Community Planning scope should move beyond the Punitive Society Models by rebuilding eroded social cohesion, heal the local identity and create the kind of civic spaces that bring some more humanism into our daily life. Since we now know that freeways, gargantuan malls or parking lots, and fortress type of dwellings isolates and divide our communities.

As a young graduate, i can say the youths are facing greatest challenges in cities. some are employment some are not.Government should address this issues, as it's often leads to breakdown of law and order.

Cities require all inclusive security for different segments of the society. Rich, developing, boys, girls,men, women, elderly, young, physically challenged persons, self employed, unemployed, employed. Vigilantes are excellent if properly monitored and well regulated.

Well in Nigeria, though yet to be backed legally or nationally all embracing, Government seems to be experimenting with Police -Citizens committees in different town districts or Areas. Our federating states have different kinds of neighbor hood watch or vigilantes. At times they are excellent, at times they parties in control of state Government hijack their functions to terrorize opponents. Thus people are skeptical that state or municipal police could be dangerous for Nigeria, if not well regulated before implementation.

I know this discussion is mainly about crime prevention, but from a perspective of urban planning, it might be interesting to take a more holistic view of "safety and security". We should be talking about about natural and man-made disasters, crime and law and order, security of (land) tenure, or all of the above (and more). All of these have equity-related issues, i.e., the poor are affected by them much more than the rich; and women, children and the elderly much more than men.

Urban planning has a role to play in all these dimensions of safety and security. What is the experience of your city in this regard? Any best practices or innovations?

Community safety and public security are per-requisites for urban development. In the early stages of the Cato Manor reconstruction initiative in the mid-1990s, crime and violence began to impact greatly on the future of the project. The police's efforts were crippled by infrastructural and environmental factors; and their past relationship with the community had been acrimonious. All this had a severe impact on development beacuse contractors were increasingly robbed of anything valuable; community development committees were manipulated by local strongmen; there was taxi related conflict; and violent leadership struggles. In response, the development agency (CMDA) introduced a number of measures in an attempt to mitigate the impact of crime. These included employing a security manager, setting up a safety & security committee, a memorandum of understanding; initiating the establishment of a special police task team to investigate the backlog of unsolved criminal cases in the area; and setting up community safety partnerships. In combination these measures eventually brought the level of crime and violence down to one comparable with other areas in the city.

Lessons from this experience for similar projects are to anticipate the likelihood of needing to take measures to secure a safe environment for development. Such measures include building capacity within the community; networking as widely as possible; incorporating safety and security measures into all aspects of a development project; and creating formalised strategies to deal with crime and violence.

Community safety, public security should be dominant. Imagine, what we are expecting in Lagos, Nigeria, Africa's and amongst world most dominant cities. The Government alarmed at overcrowding seeing people living under bridges, trucks parked almost permanently on roads, started evacuation of these trucks, demolition of makeshifts squatters abode under bridges ( i hope i post the pictures today). However, some concerns are expressed as is the issue finally or well addressed. The street dwellers are citizens, foreigners living in good faith in the city for a living. They cant afford high accommodation rents. The truckers are wayfarer drivers, on transit in Lagos to load petroleum products from the port for inland distribution or cross border distribution. The government see them as nuisance, crime pops up in such situation but not all are guilty. so what do we do?

City crime must be adequately addressed by authorities. Addressing social security of dwellers is part of the planning.

I work for Women in Cities International and much of our work focuses specifically on creating safer cities. One of the tools we use is the women's safety audit methodology. Originally developed by METRAC in Toronto in 1989, the tool can since been adapted and used by different groups of women all over the world. It starts from a recognition of the validity of women's sense of safety, or lack thereof. Women's sensitivity to how they feels in different urban environments makes them experts of their own safety experiences in cities. From this starting point, the women's safety audits ask users of a particular space to identify the factors in both the built and social environment that contribute to or hinder their sense of safety in the space. These observations are documented and when possible supplemented by photographs. Women then develop recommendations to make the space safer. These can be extremely diverse and range from improving street lighting, developing programmes for youth, improving signage, or increasing police patrols. These audits have been used in such spaces a housing complexes, parking lots, streets, parks, etc. there have been many interesting results including redevelopment of city parks, improving lighting, introducing activities to encourage social use of space, street naming in informal settlements, training of bus drivers, etc.

From the city I currently live in, Cape Town, the best known example of attempting to create a safer city through urban design is the The Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU) project in Khayelitsha. This project took an approach based on promoting social, situational and institutional forms of crime prevention simultaneously. See the website here: http://www.vpuu.org/

The VPUU approach and methodology rested upon careful and detailed analysis of the existing situation through a wide range of surveys and other data gathering techniques. It employed urban design principles to ensure that access movements through the area were well-defined, with identifiable 'safe zones' to provide surveillance, orientation and psychological security. Sports fields and recreational areas were created to encourage social interaction and the use of public spaces.

Attached are a few photographs of the project.

Very interesting project, James. I would like to tell you that as a community planner I firmly believe that beyond the biological needs of nourishment and protection from the environment, people have additional social needs that once met would enable them to form a Sane Society:
-RELATEDNESS or the need to establish social relations with others;
-TRANSCENDENCE or the need to be actively creative;
-ROOTEDNESS or the need for fixed roots;
-SENSE OF IDENTITY or the need for one’s own identity; and
-FRAME OF ORIENTATION or the need to orient oneself in the world intellectually.

Notably, we CAN integrate these elements to formulate programs for public action in distressed inner city neighborhoods or to redevelop vacant industrial property in older neighborhoods and include those mixed activities that are basic to neighborhoods and cities alike, the relevance of urban spaces is to be varied as to enhance the activities associated with them.

Also, I would like to stress that Crime should be considered by planners not only a problem, but also as a warning symptom a much larger malaise present either in our communities and cities.

In cities of developed and mostly developing countries, street hawking of goods more so amongst youths and children that should be in colleges, high schools, office work are source of concern. Their actions contribute to city traffic gridlocks and at times robberies are experienced from such traffics. Pictures below; left shows street vendors in new york, USA @ wordpress. Picture right shows children hawking in Lagos, Nigeria @ stealthofnations blog

Indeed the VPUU of capetown is a town planning masterpiece but how much can it affect crime rate in cape town or SA ? under priveleged cape towners/south africans appear to be yearning for work opportunities economic wealth and other equal social benefits.

indeed this issues hinders economic development in a particular country.Government in all level should engage in massive awareness on street hawking and also passed laws which will stem this issue, not blanket laws..equal distribution of wealth...

From global increasing concerns, it is obvious that Rape of women, girl child, particularly in our cities is alarmingly increasing. Some persons, institutions from religious, moral views felt that women conduct are contributory to rape and advocate outlawing women, indescnt dressings; mini-skirt, body hug-skimpy dressess ( dress to kill ). So countries, i.e, predominant moslem nations like Saudi, UAE, Indonesia, Tunisia...outlaw indescent dressing for women. Institutions like University of Lagos, in short, all Xtian Universities in Nigeria, Ghana...outlaw women from such dresses. Most women in particular are thinking otherwise on dresscode. Some ladies in S/Africa, Malawi, USA/Europe protested against it. Here in Nigeria even when a prominent female senator advocated scrutining of women dressess women seems to be loudest in opposition to her. Pornography is not helping matters. magazines, videos of ladies even children in abusive sex are hawked by street vendors. Worse is child rape. Little girls are abused as domestic servants, street hawkers, foster kids and often raped even by men old enough to be there grandfathers!!! Thanks to increase global advocacy against rape, stiffer laws should be enacted. me, my wife that initiate this dialogue, thinks even life imprisonment for child rapist.
Picture left: Congo DR First Lady Kabilla lead her nations protest against rape(c)radicalprofeminist.blo.Second left: Pakistan women against rape(c)thedailybeast.com. Second right, Nigerian women against rape and Right, SA ladies protest for mini-skirts(c)lankajournal.com

Safety and security are two different issues. Safety also includes the concept of reducing risks to accidents and disaster mitigating risks. Security generally relates to crime and situations leading to deterioration of law and order such as terrorism. In Pakistani cities, situation related to both cases are critical. One of the main reason is the continuation of obsolete legislation and procedures. Secondly, new relevant legislation largely remain unimplemented such as the domestic violence bill. Also, legislation that favor certain groups and interests cause the un-favored groups to react violently. Finally, in the name of security, influential and powerful people for personal safety, violate human rights, safety regulations and create public security hazards.

Every nation should enact stiffer child rights law. Law on birth control, right of a child to education, right against child labour, right against child and women trafficking, rights against indecent assualt (from both sexes) particularly in workplaces and life sentences for child rape.

Night life in our cities needs constant security monitoring. Night clubbing, street partying, pub relaxation are sort of entertainment and relaxation to many but subject to abuses. Government needs regulatory control on these places to curb negativity. They may not be encouraged to locate close by residential areas, admittance should be from 18 years above, hard drug sales and usage should be reported to police, prostitution and hoodlum rings should be banned, noisy, wild street parties, carnivals should be discouraged.

As a feminine activist i agree on strict legislation against rape and child abuse. However, i do not see anything wrong in women wearing what they think suit them, though there should be moderation in dressing.ppp

The moderator, James Duminy posted an excellent, researched article: No women, No City. I agree with the conclusions of the UN-Habitat backed researched. My observations are: Working class women are increasing worldwide. We make a trusted, committed workforce. Only we should not be exploited nor abused... period. Give us standard working conditions, maternity leaves, family support allowances and see how we can make better workers than men.

Governments and city councils should enact good gender policies which will encourage, increase women employment, welfare and protection from exploitations and abuses

Sports is not only recreation but good career, employment, income generation sector capable of transforming livelihood of youths in our cities. There is the need for establishments of more recreation or sporting arena's in our cities. Where the growing Youth population will have opportunities to positively developed their talents rather than be lured into criminal acts. Most Nigerian international footballers, were discovered from our cities ghettos, from less privileged background and today they are role model, millionaires even misanthropists.

Practically, improving lives of vulnerable( less privileged, less/non educated..) girls, women living in our cities is likely best options of access to vocational training. Encourage them to learn quick skills of tailoring, hairdressing, catering, sports, descent modeling, Arts/Music performers etc

most people involved in crime are people who are idle in their minds..
i believe that the government or NGOs' should invlove such idle minds in those activities listed by esther ojeah.
people are involved in crime because they dont have access to activities thet will engage their minds positively.if they can have access to the basic needs of life: shelter/food/clothing/education/ amongst others there will be a reduction in crime rates.
i also believe that in creating safer cities urban planning firms should put in place policies/standards/guidelines that will create a safe city and to make sure that urban dwellers adhere strictly to such policies...there should be punishment for defaulters
the government and security experts/agencies should constantly think of ways to improve security in urban areas.

Lets address the issue of unfair distribution of our countries resources as a major cause of insecurity and tensions in our cities especially in Africa, if our ministers and other government officials are fond of stealing public money meant to improve the livelihood of the majority of the population, in such a scenario do you expect our neighborhood to be safe?

We can only be guaranteed of a safer city of opportunity the day the policy makers and technocrats sitting in a boardroom somewhere talking about the plight of the poor, will come out and have the real experience of what it means to live in unsecured environment

Daniel, i agree with you that corruption by public office holders breed inequalities in our societies-cities. The world witness cases ere these leaders use such proceeds to acquire Porsche estates, building in major world cities, even skyrocketing cost for affordable housing.Maybe, whilst in office they should be compel to live in low cost estates, neighborhood even with security. At least they will experience more the daily lives of low income people.

It is also important for us to distinguish the two terms, safety and security, in safety we emphasize prevention measure that will create tangible and beneficial result to the entire community, in the other hand security becomes a liability to suppress the occurrence of unruly behavior, it is ironic that our societies fails to understand this two terminologies, we create gated communities, increase the number of police offices and personals, expensive security gadgets yet we are not creating a solution what is happening is that we are only suppressing the real cause.