AG1167 Safety in the making 6.0 credits

Security and security are a human right- to feel free from risk and fear is vital for all people. A secure environment facilitates in meeting fundamental individual needs- a secure accommodation and a secure urban environment that allows free movement. The risk to become a crime victim involves a threat against this fundamental right. Depending on who you are, when and where you are- all this together- define the risk to become a crime victim. In this course, we look on how interdependency between individuals' age, sex, ethnic background and identity create barriers and impediments related to security. For example, certain individuals and groups in society which are more vulnerable for crime than others, and certain places that have higher crime records than other parts of the city. Further, we look at specific physical and social characteristics of these places in relation to crime. The starting-point is that the environment is not a crime determinant but rather a condition, something that encourages or sometimes discourages crime. If we can understand these conditions better, we can increase the opportunities to in a more successful way to work with challenging public environments. We review critically more than three decades of theories of crime and environments as a way to build knowledge on more conscious actions during planning for safe environments.

Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:

- Explain the meaning of safety as a multidimensional concept that derives from overlapping social constructions far beyond it analysed the scale.

- Apply and evaluate the main available theories that link crime and safety to public environments critically.

- Receive an in-depth understanding of crime and safety in public environments from many different perspectives: users, researchers and practicians.

- Have an understanding of intersectionality of safety and challenges as it can impose on planning practice

- Use relevant knowledge to inform planning practitioners on how and when to handle with security issues in public environments.

Basic university qualification and 30 credits in urban and regional planning, geography, criminology, environmental science or the equivalent or professional or vocational experience with relevance for the subject.

Huvudlitteraturen under kursen är: Cozens, P. (2016) Think Crime! och Ceccato, V. (2013) Moving safely. Därutöver kommer det att ingå artiklar med koppling till föreläsningarna.

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

• INL1 - Individual assignment, 3.0 credits, grading scale: P, F
• PRO1 - Project work in group, 3.0 credits, grading scale: P, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

INL1 individual assignment 3.0 credits P/F

PRO1 project work in groups 3.0 credits P/F

Vania Ceccato

• All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
• In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
• In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.