Residents in the Danish residential areas live a seemingly quiet and safe life. The study behind this report has focused on several Danish areas of single family houses and wall-to-wall houses. It shows that there are some conditions that create insecurity such as crime and break-ins that many residents have been exposed to. The report investigates the things that create unsafety in residential areas and which tools one can use to increase safety.

The first part of the report presents the conceptual frame of the project and includes a chapter with focus on the development of residential ares in the 1960's and 1970's. The second part is an empirical analysis of 4 chosen housing estates and the experience of what creates insecurity among the residents.

The report is based on theories and research in the so-called 'risk society', in which focus is on the risks created by society, conneted to the modern, global society and which pose a risk to all. In the risk society we are bombarded with information about war, terror, mass destruction and torture. We are also exposed to an almost constant flow of information about violence and attacks, food additives and mortal bacterias in foods, plasticizers in toys, risks of cancer and recommendations of diets, excersise and health. Often, two experts with the same knowledge disagree in their conclusions and recommendations. We are left with drawing our own conclusions and taking responsibility of the consequences.

In our everyday lives there are many demands. At the workplace there are demands of participation and engagement. If you do not give enough yourself or do your work satisfactorily, then you risk losing your job. Besides that, many people experience threats of restructuring and cutbacks on both public and private sector workplaces. It creates insecurity and questions the qualifications of each worker. Furthermore, people must be engaged in the school and day care institutions of their children. Many people experience massive pressure and demands, and they can not find time to relax.

This study has an empirical, conceptual and historical chapter. The empirical part is based on interviews with residents and other relevant persons in 4 selected residential areas. The other persons interviewed are health care and home care workers, home care nurses and the local police. The areas are Birkeroed and Karlebo in Zealand and Odense M and Odense SV on Funen in Denmark.

TrygFonden.

A. COMMUNITIES
The study shows that residents want to be able to "be themselves", but they also want to live in areas with communities and relationships between neighbours. The communities are based on things they have in common such as families with children that develop a community. In some areas there are annual events such as summer parties, grill nights etc. Not all want to be included into these communities and they choose not to be part of these neighbour relationships. On the other hand there are residents that want to move out because of a lack of community among the residents.

The study shows that knowing your neighbour and having a close relation to them give residents a sense of security. They know where to go if they have problems, at least when it comes to problems with the house and they help each other keep an eye on their houses when they are on vacation. Almost all the residents interviewed have tryed arranging such help from their neighbours during holidays etc. Residents also support each other after a break-in. Then the community is gathered against a common enemy.

B. INSECURITY
It is in the close environment we search for safety and expect to feel safe. Hence, it creates a lot of insecurity if you have been exposed to break-in or are being harrassed near your house or have conflicts with your neighbour. Many residents have been exposed to break-ins that were unconfortable and humiliating. Even so, most residents say they feel safe in their neighbourhood and that they do not worry about burglary in their daily life. They seem to suppress the risk of having a break-in in their own house. Some even prefer to live in ignorance of the risk of break-ins and do not want to talk about it.

At this point the study shows that break-ins is a subject to taboo for some residents. Policing in an area can create both safety and insecurity. Some residents think it is reassuring when the police patrols the area. Others think that the presence of police sends a signal of some criminal actions happening. The imagination of possible dangers and risks also play an important part in the way people move around in the area. Things like dark isolated paths with no overview of the area make residents unsafe.

However, it is much more the imagination of what might happen, than actual experiences with this place that make the residents feel unsafe. In the media crime is percieved as "good stories" creating attention. Of course, fear and worries vary from person to person, but most people are affected by the focus on crime in the media. The residents have expressed that media coverage of crime, in itself, can make them feel very insecure.

Danish Building Research Institute
Denmark
Helle Nørgaard or Thorkild Ærø, tel. 0045 45865533

01/01/2006

Helle Nørgaard, Thorkild Ærø og Simon Leth Nielsen

research

Urban Policy > Security & crime prevention

Sense of insecurity