Safe Spaces Task Force: Session II
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Udgivet: 01 Oct - 2020
Developing Safe Spaces for ALL
Involving the most vulnerable groups in urban development
On September 24 – 25th Nordic Safe Cities and SLA Architects brought together (online) Nordic member cities, architects, urban designers and anthropologists, as well as artists and entrepreneurs specialised in sustainable and socially conscious development for the second session of the Safe Spaces Task Force. Each city received sparring from the team of experts on their specific cases and further developed socially and physically integrated local initiatives, to make their cities safer and welcoming to all – including the most vulnerable groups. Over the next two months the Nordic member cities will continue to improve their local initiatives in dialogue with the Nordic Safe Cities and SLA team, and through sparring and exchange of practice with each other.
Images: Aalborg (DK), Kristiansand (NO), Stavanger (NO)
Integrate physical design and social interventions
The member cities participating in the second session of the Task Force, Stavanger, Kristiansand and Aalborg, are focusing on different types of spaces and present diverse cases addressing how to cast light on people, bring nature to work, integrate public facilities in the city, and build bridges between people. Yet, all cities aim to develop safe and inclusive urban spaces that consider the needs of the local people and involve all groups equally.
In the first gathering on the Safe Spaces Task Force, SLA Anthropologist Cecilie Jessen explained that cities must start with the people when developing new initiatives. Jessen emphasised that feelings of unsafety are subjective and often dependent on social context, as such safety cannot be achieved by physical interventions alone. In the second meeting of the Task Force, socially conscious artist and expert in Bright vs. Dark design, Kenneth Balfelt adds that measures intended to promote safety and security may end up not having any effect or even having a negative effect, if the social aspects and most vulnerable groups are not considered in the urban planning.
Develop local spaces for local needs
Social Entrepreneur, Klaus Rix, encourages cities to openly set a vision and clearly and openly communicate local issues to the community. Cities can use the forces from civil society, businesses, local citizens – including the most vulnerable and disenfranchised – to collectively develop solutions and initiatives that meet local needs. By communicating the desire for change and being ready to engage in dialogue and include all voices, critical and supportive, cities can put local needs first and take a bottom up approach to city planning.
Local needs include the needs of those who are often overlooked in urban development. Vulnerable groups such as unhoused persons, individuals with substance abuse issues, mental health issues, socio economically disenfranchised youths and minorities. Cities will struggle to create spaces that are secure and feel safe for all groups without addressing the needs, wants and points of unsafety for all, and bridging misconceptions between user groups of the urban spaces.
Socially vulnerable groups: Resources or Problems
An essential point to foster inclusion is to create community fora (unions, community houses) to collectively address and change the language around socially disadvantaged groups from being ‘problems’, ‘exploiters’, ‘dangerous’ or ‘criminal’ to revolve around the positive features and resources they can offer.
More importantly than how vulnerable groups are spoken about is that they are spoken to. Vulnerable people can seem lawless and create an unsafe atmosphere when laying on the street and taking up space with their belongings. If the cities do not provide areas where they are welcome and their needs are met, they will inevitably stay in places that are less than ideal. This can be avoided by speaking to them, hearing their needs and including them in the development of the city on equal footing to other groups.
Nordic Safe Cities and SLA supporting safe local urban development
In the coming 2 months, the Nordic cities will continue to develop their local concepts with support from each other, external sparring partners and the Nordic Safe Cities and SLA team. The Safe Spaces Task Force meets for its third session on November 18, 2020.
The goal is to use the experiences and learnings in the Task force to publicise a handbook for all Nordic cities to use when engaging in urban development projects for safety and security. We look forward to launch this primo 2021.
If you are a member of Nordic Safe Cities and are interested in joining the Safe Spaces Task Force, please contact Deputy Director, Lotte Fast Carlsen: lotte@nordicsafecities.org
If you are interested in becoming a member of Nordic Safe Cities, read more here.