Designing safe spaces is not just about fences, gates, and cameras. The “safer by design” concept goes further—it’s about shaping environments that naturally reduce opportunities for crime, make people feel safe, and ensure spaces remain functional and welcoming. This is where Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) plays a critical role.
At Smartsec Security Solutions, we deliver independent CPTED assessments that do more than tick boxes. We explore how design, technology, and human behaviour intersect—and how applying safer by design principles can significantly lower risks in Perth’s public, commercial, and private spaces.
What Does “Safer by Design” Mean in CPTED?
Safer by design is an approach where safety and crime prevention are built into a space from the start, or integrated later to enhance existing environments. Instead of adding layers of security after problems occur, safer by design focuses on:
- Deterrence through environmental cues: Making spaces feel observed and cared for, reducing criminal intent.
- Physical barriers and access control: Guiding how people move, where they enter, and how secure boundaries are maintained.
- Visibility and natural surveillance: Ensuring sightlines are clear to remove hiding spots and improve passive monitoring.
- Community ownership: Encouraging people to take pride in and protect their space.
- Long-term usability: Ensuring designs remain functional, attractive, and safe as spaces evolve.
The goal is not just to stop crime but to foster environments that feel safe and inclusive, reducing both actual incidents and the fear of crime.
What a Thorough CPTED Assessment Should Cover
A high-quality safer by design assessment looks at multiple layers of security—not just environmental factors but also how people, technology, and processes interact.
Site Context and Risk Profile
Every site is different. We start by understanding:
- Who uses the space (residents, visitors, employees, students, etc.)
- The surrounding environment (crime statistics, nearby land use, known hotspots)
- Existing security measures, incidents, and community concerns
This context ensures recommendations are tailored to real-world risks, not generic guidelines.
Core CPTED Principles
A robust safer by design assessment should review all four traditional CPTED principles:
- Natural Surveillance: Sightlines, lighting levels, CCTV positioning, landscaping that prevents concealment.
- Access Control: How entry and exit points are managed, the flow of movement, and barriers that deter unauthorised access.
- Territorial Reinforcement: Clear boundaries, signage, and design elements that create a sense of ownership and discourage antisocial behaviour.
- Maintenance: How cleanliness, lighting repairs, and vegetation management affect perceived and actual safety.
Extended Safety Considerations
Modern safer by design goes beyond the four principles. At Smartsec Security Solutions, we include:
- CCTV Effectiveness: Not just whether cameras are present, but whether they are positioned correctly, capture high-quality evidence, and comply with AS 4806 CCTV standards.
- Access Control Systems: Reviewing electronic security, swipe cards, or biometric systems against AS/NZS 4806 series and AS 2201.1 guidelines for reliability and tamper resistance.
- Lighting Compliance: Ensuring pathways, car parks, and public areas meet AS/NZS 1158 lighting standards, improving visibility and reducing fear of crime.
- Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM): For high-risk sites, we assess vehicle access points and prescribe solutions that align with ISO 22343-1:2023 to protect against deliberate vehicle attacks.
- Emergency Response and Wayfinding: How easily people can find exits or safe points during incidents or emergencies.
- Community Feedback and User Behaviour: Understanding how people actually use the space, where they feel unsafe, and why certain areas may attract unwanted activity.
This broader approach ensures safety is not siloed, but embedded across environmental, technological, and operational layers.
Why a Thorough Approach Matters
Many CPTED assessments simply list observations such as “add lighting” or “trim bushes”. While these are valid measures, they often miss underlying causes, or fail to integrate other critical elements like technology, operational procedures, and long-term maintenance.
Without a deeper assessment:
- Crime hotspots may shift elsewhere on site instead of being eliminated.
- Investments in CCTV or access control may not address the root cause of risks.
- Spaces may still feel unsafe, undermining public confidence and usability.
A thorough safer by design review prevents this by considering all contributing factors, not just the visible environment.
How Smartsec Security Solutions Delivers “Safer by Design”
As independent consultants, we don’t sell or install equipment—we provide unbiased advice that ensures your investment actually delivers safety outcomes. Our approach includes:
- Stakeholder Engagement: Interviews with site managers, staff, and community members to understand real-world experiences.
- On-Site Day and Night Assessments: Observing activity patterns, lighting effectiveness, and high-risk behaviours.
- Risk Data Analysis: Reviewing local crime reports and incident trends to inform recommendations.
- Integration with Technology: We assess whether existing CCTV, access control, and alarms meet Australian standards, ensuring they complement environmental design.
- ISO 31000-Aligned Recommendations: We prioritise solutions based on risk likelihood, impact, and cost-benefit analysis, giving decision-makers a clear roadmap.
- Actionable Reporting: A practical, staged plan that identifies quick wins and long-term improvements.
Our comprehensive, layered assessments help councils, developers, schools, shopping centres, and property owners create spaces that are not just compliant, but genuinely safer and more welcoming for all users.
Final Thoughts
The safer by design approach is not just about crime prevention—it’s about creating environments where people feel secure, confident, and engaged. A high-quality CPTED assessment takes this further, integrating technology, risk management, and long-term planning to deliver lasting results.
If you are planning a new development, managing a public space, or reviewing safety on your site, an independent safer by design assessment can help you make informed, cost-effective decisions that truly reduce risk.
