Built safety

In 2013 the National Crime Prevention Strategy – which is the baseline for the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) – decided to promote architectural solutions that help to construct safer homes and safer environment. While it did not attract great attention in Hungary, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) has gone wire in other countries. By following CPTED principles architects build real estates that are not promising for criminals because of its flood lightness, accessibility and orderliness. The Hungarian way was different. We protected our homes by planting enormous bushes around our houses, like some sort of fortress, to keep unwelcomed guests away.

The past two years NCPC looked over the international practices and carried out a treatise called “Crime prevention by using architectural methods” that fits the Hungarian circumstances. Getting to know these methods and good practices allow us to open new horizons in crime prevention. NCPC works hard to share the gained knowledge with the related professionals and the population through different channels. Our open call welcomes projects that by using our GIS database and the international good practices are able to provide livable and safe environment.

‘In 2018 the National Crime Prevention Council and its stakeholders launched a project called SAFECITY. The SAFECITY project is the first comprehensive initiative in Hungary with a goal of promoting crime prevention tools supported by environmental design. How can we establish safe areas, and can we improve the sense of safety of the residents with the help of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED)? The SAFECITY project processed these matters from various aspects, such as architecture and urban planning, education and child protection, sociology and crime prevention.’

Last review: January 2020.