Security has become something of a buzz-word over the last few years when considering urban and property developments. Developers and employers are ever more subject to the legal and moral responsibilities of providing a safe environment for the users of their facilities. These end-users are also increasingly making their choices about where to live, work, shop and so forth based upon their perceptions of how secure a place is. This makes a robust approach to security and safety a valid marketing point for any development. At the same time, people don't want to feel like they are living in a 'police state', constantly surrounded by armed personnel and with CCTV cameras covering their every move.
How then can security master-planning satisfy the needs of developers, tenants and the general public whilst simultaneously being unobtrusive and cost-effective?
In the past, security was seen as an add-on to a development; a cost-item that would have little bearing on the overall design. When planning for security, much of the focus tended to be on the more visible precautions: police officers, guards, barriers, cameras and screening equipment.
However, by incorporating an emphasis on security right from the start of a development, real safety improvements can be made possible whilst increased savings can be made by reducing the need for manpower and technology as a solution to crime.
Early intervention
This necessitates a much earlier involvement of security in the design process, even preceding that of the architect. By adopting the principles of "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design" (CPTED or sep-ted), developments can be planned with security as an underlying philosophy. From this approach flow design decisions on all elements of the overall project: road layout, public spaces, infrastructure, even what types of vegetation to use in the landscaping. By designing out crime, CPTED looks beyond the heavy use of security guards and locked gates to give occupants a more total atmosphere of safety, as opposed to a feeling of being merely guarded.
For example, by designing parks that are very well lit with no hidden zones or dead ground, the possibilities for lawbreakers to hide or carry out their activities unobserved are limited. Small design elements like planting only very low shrubs or benches that have seating dividers can cut down on the use of parks by vagrants. Similarly, public thoroughfares that are open, easily observable and with no hiding places or dark alleys gives an enhanced sense of personal security compared to that of a conventional cityscape.
It is not only the physical aspects of the design that need to be considered though. Operational factors are just as important. Who are the relevant security authorities? What place will private security have in the design? How will communications be co-ordinated? What plans are in place for the monitoring and protection of critical infrastructure? The command structures of local emergency and law enforcement authorities also need to be involved in the design at an early stage to incorporate their needs and capabilities into the concept.
Likewise, the operations of the development are an essential consideration in the total security plan. The type of industries to be accommodated, transport access and egress, amount of commuting and so forth are all vital to developing a holistic security solution. A greenfield administrative and residential development will therefore be different from one incorporating an industrial base with an existing international seaport.
Since the possibilities are endless, no off-the-rack solution will be applicable to every development project. Risks and solutions must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. It is therefore imperative that the security designer has a deep understanding of the client's needs and a good knowledge of local conditions and risk factors. Only in this way can the development be based on a security plan that complements it and therefore achieves a more holistic safety outcome.
The Nusajaya Malaysia experience
A significant example of this approach in both scale and detail is the Nusajaya development in southern Malaysia. This greenfield project is the largest property development in South-East Asia and will see the construction of an administrative, urban and commercial area across more than 97 square kilometres of contiguous land. It will eventually be home to more than half a million people.
From the start of the project the master developer, UEM, understood the sensitivities regarding security in the region and decided to take a long term view of their investment in this aspect of Nusajaya's development. The city therefore became the first in the world to have security embedded within the initial design. The raft of security measures implemented includes critical infrastructure protection, urban design, advanced technologies, traffic and road management and the physical design of buildings.
By treating security as an essential component of Nusajaya's design, it became a strong proposition when promoting the development. Moreover, the CPTED approach will mean that crime prevention, detection and law enforcement costs will be lower over the long term and workers and residents will enjoy an enhanced sense of security and well-being.
Always applicable
It should not be assumed that such comprehensive solutions can only be applied to greenfield planned cities. Good security master-planning is applicable everywhere and can also be employed retrospectively. For example, and on the back of the positive response to UEM Land’s approach in Nusajaya, another major developer in the central district of Kuala Lumpur is now incorporating a similar approach to security of their significant 100 acre development.
Similarly, good security planning can be a consideration for projects of any size, not just those involving large areas. By applying robust philosophies and an attitude of security as an enhancer of occupant experience, even individual buildings or small housing projects can be improved.
The current trend both regionally and globally will see security planning become more and more an expected feature of development projects. It is therefore considered essential that developers now turn their attention to concepts such as CPTED and Security Masterplanning to incorporate effective security consultancy into their plans at the earliest possible stage. In this manner their projects will be both more marketable and, more importantly, safer and more desirable places to work and live.
© Sinclair Knight Merz
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Who does this affect?
Designers and potential occupants of new urban developments.
What do I need to do?
Develop a collaborative relationship with security consultants and local authorities at the early stages of the development to manage security risks in a way that complements the overall project design.
Author: Stephen Barlow
Stephen Barlow is SKM’s Global Manager for Security. Over the past 21 years he has held a number of key management positions within the security industry in Australia and overseas. He specialises in risk mitigation, security design and planning and is experienced in incorporating electronic security requirements, physical hardening of facilities and the application of CPTED principles.
© Sinclair Knight Merz
Requests to re-publish achieve articles should be made here