Absolutely Positively Unsafe: Using architecture and urban design to rejuvenate neglected city space

Abstract

Absolutely Positively Unsafe is a project sparked by two aspects of design that have interested me throughout the past five years of my university study. Firstly, I am intrigued by the relationship between architecture, urban design, and a user’s safety within the built environment. Literature and case studies have identified a direct correlation between the occurrence of crime and the design of the surroundings. The second interest I have is for Wellington city, the capital of New Zealand. Its diversity, culture and liveliness are some of the key reasons I have grown to love this city since I moved here in 2007.

These interests have driven the following investigation surrounding the relationship between crime and design, as well as identifying its effects within Wellington city. Ultimately, this project seeks to both ask and answer how architecture and urban design can be used to rejuvenate unsafe city space.

A solution has been achieved through a site specific design response. The proposed design attempts to cement ideas and insights surrounding the topic, as well as apply the ideas directly within the context of Wellington city. Through this research and design I hope to further my own knowledge on this subject, as well as the readers, while also presenting a viable solution to solve some very real site problems.

The thesis is divided into seven main chapters. Chapter two puts the project in context; identifying a site for the design response and justifying the reasons for this choice. Chapter three then reflects on the previous chapter, identifying pressing issues as well as potential opportunities for change. Chapter four showcases the proposed design response. Chapters five and six then present the rationale behind the proposed design. In chapter seven, we reflect on the ideas that are identified in the previous chapter. Finally, chapter eight summarises the key points that should be taken from the project.