New and innovative design solutions to help prevent robbery and embed safety in the design of new public spaces
The Home Office has agreed to support the development of new and innovative designs in an initiative to design out crime.
The programme will develop new and innovative design solutions to help prevent robbery, to crime-proof 'hot new gadgets' and to embed public safety in the design of new public spaces and housing was agreed today by the Home Secretary and the Design and Technology Alliance.
Over the next three years, the UK’s top designers will bring together industry, the public sector, designers and crime prevention experts with victims of crime. Backed by £1.6 million, new design-led ideas will be prototyped and exhibited to showcase the UK’s world-class innovation and demonstrate their market potential.
The programme, led by the Design Council, will work on developing solutions to a wide range of crime-related problems, particularly those which affect young people, including:
- Schools – finding and applying specific design solutions to reduce problems such as bullying, fighting and petty theft in schools. This is being led by Sir John Sorrell, Chair of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and the Sorrell Foundation.
- ‘Hot’ products – developing innovations in technology, services and product design which help make personal electronics more ‘crime-proof’. This is being led by Joe McGeehan, Director of the Centre for Communications Research at Bristol University.
- Housing - embedding design-led crime reducing approaches in the planning and construction of housing, led by Ken Pease, a forensic psychologist and visiting professor at University College London.
- Alcohol-related crime – finding design-led approaches to reduce the harm caused by alcohol-related antisocial and criminal behaviour, especially assaults in pubs and clubs. This is being led by Jeremy Myerson, Professor of Design Studies at the Royal College of Art.
- Business crime – such as helping businesses to use design to minimise crimes which victimise them, their customers or employees such as shoplifting and other forms of retail theft. This will be led by Lorraine Gamman, Professor of Design Studies at Central St Martins.
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