Changing environments to promote safety in librariesShow others and affiliations
2024 (English)In: European Journal of Criminology, ISSN 1477-3708, E-ISSN 1741-2609, Vol. 21, no 4, p. 491-512Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The purpose of this article is to investigate how changes in the environment of a library affect thesafety conditions of both visitors and staff. Using principles of Crime Prevention ThroughEnvironmental Design, crime and incidents of public disturbance from 2017 to 2020 from librariesin Stockholm, Sweden, are analyzed and later mapped using 3D models in CAD. These findings areinspected via fieldwork visits and then compared with answers from a safety survey with libraryvisitors (N=112) and interviews with library personnel (N=6). Analysis of variance shows thatcrime and incidents of public disturbance decrease after these interventions, with clear impactson their geography. A third of visitors indicate that there have been fewer problems after changes in the library are introduced while staff suggests that training prepares them to manage conflictsituations more efficiently. The study concludes with a critical assessment of the methodologyand makes suggestions to improve safety conditions in libraries.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
SAGE Publications , 2024. Vol. 21, no 4, p. 491-512
Keywords [en]
crime, safety, library, place management, BIM, CPTED
National Category
Social Sciences Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified
Research subject
Planning and Decision Analysis, Urban and Regional Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-342127DOI: 10.1177/14773708231213157ISI: 001142031300001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85182243733OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-342127DiVA, id: diva2:1827409
Projects
Safety in libraries
Funder
Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention
Note
QC 20240115
2024-01-132024-01-132025-05-05Bibliographically approved