learning from abroad
I find it interesting that the safety of urban areas can vary so much from region to region: i'm currently in India, where crowds are the rule. Surely we need to consider context rather than any 'do or don't' hard and fast planning rules as to what works for an area's residents: each area/region/country is very different. Crowded streets are safe in some ways, hazardous in others. Street furniture in India is an encouragement to take up residence on the pavement which leads to 'unsafe' areas, but this is a matter of need. 'Nice' areas of Mumbai are patrolled and gated...if more towns and cities had basic standards of urban facilities for all, I'm sure we would not need to worry so much about crime, let alone plan it out of our urban environments. But I'm sure we can learn from the different approaches across to 'urban order' across the world, and realise that it is all about how we treat people...
Dear friendSafe areas does
Dear friend Safe areas does not mean you have to be gated and patrolled all the time. If you are not aware, in India we do not have defined spaces but the quality of natural surveillance has allowed kids, old age people to walk on street without fear. They donot need any signal crossing in a residential street as level of understading is very high, which is very difficult for any visitor to understand and comment. Your point on Crowded streets in India is true, Mumbai is too crowdy, I do experience the same but the diversity and quality of urban environment is very good. When you go again, try observing these Regards
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I have lived in Mumbai 25 yrs travelling all times of days n nights (yeh.... even at 2 am all by myself using public transport)...can readily support dat you wont feel intimidated by the places as there is often surveillance and overlooking. Cant agree that all 'nice areas' are patrolled or gated...you might feel dat as an outsider but living there I would say definitely 90% (this is guessed on bases of common sense and not creditable to any analysis what-so-ever) of the areas are found to be safe by the locals, unlike few where it can be due to the 'gang' culture ...which is more prevalent than just plain crime.... u can certainly get intimidated by 'gangs' in your area. Street furniture is more of an luxury found in older parts of Mumbai.....which has over the time been extensively commercialised and hence the 'residence on the pavements'...believe me...they are perfectly friendly..!!...dats the culture part u cant overlook....unless ur a foreigner when u can be harassed for money ...not to the locals. So basically the whole scenario trickles down to more and more overlooked spaces and crowded streets…. (Noticeably more than needed in Mumbai).... and due to this to the people, who make up the ‘crowd’ ...who in turn are represented in terms of their culture...(especially so in India….with its striking diversity!!) Culture plays a major impact on making any place safe...it is visible on the streets in form of personalisation, either on windows...doors...shopfronts....enchoarments..and of course...the presence of animals on streets(at least another living creature which isn’t alien to you and u to him) etc. and you can experience the feel of being in a known territory dat isn’t secluded. Which in turn makes you feel safe!
