Concurrents – Environmental Psychology: Designing-in Security
For a long time, making sure that worker welfare and comfort wouldn’t be compromised by others, via sexual harassment, for instance, was not often discussed in workplaces. Now, as more attention is paid to related issues, it makes sense to consider how design can support in-workplace feelings of safety. For decades the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) movement has been optimizing urban experiences, and many of the principles discussed by CPTED practitioners are relevant in workplaces. CPTED promotes the careful management of sight lines, for example, because areas that are, or potentially can be, “under surveillance” are spaces where undesirable acts are less likely to occur. Creating sight lines does not mean that a space has to be entirely open from all angles, just that it is visually accessible by some. Also, CPTED’ers have learned that people feel more powerful in a space that is their “territory” and are …
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