Introducing a New Tool for Campus Facility Design
This recently published resource provides the latest on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).
I’ve just read a book, authored by Dr. Randall Atlas, called 21st Century Security and CPTED (CRC PRESS$), which provides a solid overview of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) using a series of his articles, new chapters and segments by distinguished contributing authors.
Atlas is both an architect and a Ph.D criminologist and has lectured and consulted extensively on CPTED. In his new book, he revisits the concepts of first and second generation CPTED with an eye towards integration of its powerful concepts into the early phases of facility design.
Campus safety practitioners know how common it is for campus facilities to be built with major safety design flaws that are expensive and sometimes almost impossible to correct. The proper application of CPTED and integrated safety, security and emergency management planning into the early design phase can dramatically improve facility design while saving large sums of money. In rare cases, it could save ¬millions of dollars.
A number of top CPTED experts, such as Timothy Crowe (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) and Newman (Defensible Space) to name just two, have made significant contributions to the field of safe campus facility design.
Atlas’ latest work on the topic will also be a valuable resource for those who are involved in designing or renovating K-12 schools, higher education buildings, hospitals and support facilities.
I had the pleasure of seeing Atlas present at a Campus Safety conference (for more information on this year’s event, visit www.CampusSafetyConference.com) several years ago and to co-present with him at an advanced campus facility design workshop at the National Crime Prevention Institute a couple of years ago. In addition to being a good writer, he is a talented presenter. I have urged him for several years to come out with a book and am glad to see his valuable contribution to the field in print.
Although the book is at times a little redundant and is not focused solely on campus facilities, campus safety professionals will likely find the sections for retail stores, gas stations and other special settings to be helpful even though at first glance, they may not appear totally relevant. This diversity and repetition will help some readers gain more from the book.
New facility construction and major renovation projects are a great opportunity to design security and safety into the campus environment. Atlas does an excellent job of describing the design processes that can increase the odds that a construction project will head in the right direction by bringing the right people to the table early in the process.
My hat is off to Dr. Atlas and his distinguished contributing authors for a job well done and a significant contribution to campus safety professionals.
Michael Dorn is an internationally recognized authority on campus safety and the author of 19 books on the topic. He is the senior public safety and emergency management analyst for Jane’s Consultancy. Dorn, a member of the Campus Safety Advisory Council, works with a team of campus safety experts to make campuses safer around the globe through Jane’s offices in nine countries. He can be reached at schoolsafety@janes.com.
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About the Author
Michael Dorn, Contributor
Michael Dorn serves as the Executive Director of Safe Havens International, a global non profit campus safety center. During his 30 year campus safety career, Michael has served as a university police officer, corporal, sergeant and lieutenant. He served as a school system police chief for ten years before being appointed the lead expert for the nation's largest state government K-20 school safety center. The author of 25 books on school safety, his work has taken him to Central America, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia, South Africa and the Middle East. Michael welcomes comments, questions or requests for clarification at mike@weakfish.org. Note: The views expressed by guest bloggers and contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, Campus Safety magazine.
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