Nanaimo’s Wisteria Lane neighbours look to the structure of physical spaces to reduce crime, increase stability

During the recent past, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, there has been an increasing interest in the effects of neighbourhoods on the health of the people living in them. Researchers and policy-makers have come to understand that the characteristics of neighbourhoods, whether measured in terms of their physical, social or economic attributes, can have important impacts on individuals.

Neighbourhoods represent key environmental settings for youth (and others), as policies, physical spaces and structures, and cultural, social and interpersonal interactions that occur in these environments influence their subsequent behaviour, and ultimately their health experiences (Bernard et al., 2007; Green et al., 1996; Sallis & Owen, 2002). Good examples of this include factors such as the availability and quality of affordable housing (Krieger & Higgins, 2002), the extent of poverty or socio-economic advantage (Lynch et al., 2002), safety concerns related to the presence of crime or gangs (Kee et al., 2003; Wood, 2003), or the sense of warmth and cohesion in a well organized and socially-connected neighbourhood (Gidlow et al., 2010). Each of these can contribute to states of disease or wellness.

Defensible space

Crime prevention and neighbourhood safety have been linked to the physical spaces and structures within neighbourhoods themselves. American architect and city planner Oscar Newman developed a theory in the early 1970s, and wrote a book on the topic, called Defensible Space [source: Wikipedia]. Newman defined defensible space as “a residential environment whose physical characteristics—building layout and site plan—function to allow inhabitants themselves to become key agents in ensuring their security.”

Crime prevention through environmental design

Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) expands on the defensible space concept; it’s a multi-disciplinary approach to deterring criminal behavior through environmental design—ranging from the small-scale (such as the strategic use of shrubbery and other vegetation) to the overarching, including building form of an entire urban neighbourhood and the amount of opportunity for “eyes on the street” [source: Wikipedia].

The City of Nanaimo

The City of Nanaimo is recommending environmental design to combat drug and sex trade problems in a Nob Hill-area neighbourhood, according to the Nanaimo News Bulletin:

Concerned residents near Nicol Street, who have complained about drug use, needles, and prostitutes and clients frequenting their alley, held a walk-through with city staff Saturday. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design was discussed as a potential solution, something suggested in a 2005 city-commissioned report and used in city parks and building design. [Nanaimo News Bulletin, July 15, 2014]

John Horn, City of Nanaimo social planner, was on-hand for the walk-through and said neighbourhoods that work together are strong and are able to deter and diminish the illegal occurrences, reported the News Bulletin. “If you walk down the alley and you believe everyone in the alley has a lot of capability and they’re acting in a guardian capacity, then that sends the signal that this is not the place to conduct illicit activity…that’s the signal that has to be sent and that’s what changes things,” Horn said.

Image: Doug Hiltz, Norman Abbey, and Tanya Hiltz on Wisteria Lane in Nob Hill

We speak with Norman Abbey, who lives on Wisteria Lane, John Horn, City of Nanaimo social planner, and Jacquie Howardson, chair of the Nob Hill Neighbourhood Association.

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more about Nob Hill in Nanaimo

Nob Hill is one of Nanaimo’s original character neighbourhoods, part of downtown’s Old City, with ocean views and its own unusual circular Nob Hill Park.

The neighbourhood’s heart is Nob Hill Park and Hecate Street runs down its centre. It’s approximately bounded by Albert Street in the West, Victoria Road in the East, Victoria Crescent in the North and the Pine Street ridge in the South. Since the early 2000s, its neighbourhood association has been organizing events, instigating park renovations and cleanup, establishing a community garden and speaking to the City of Nanaimo on behalf of area residents. [source: Nob Hill Facebook page]

Find Nob Hill Park on Google maps here.