"Safe Cities" project. Analysis and urban design for the cities security

The issue of urban security, at the centre of city agendas especially in relation to terrorism, involves Urban Design and therefore the shape of the city. A study carried out by the University of L’Aquila on medium-sized Italian cities addresses this issue using a four-stage methodology corresponding to four frameworks: 1) Knowledge Framework, 2) Analytical Framework, 3) Strategic Framework and 4) Design Framework. This methodology was applied to the case study of the city of Pescara, in Abruzzo (It), which presents criticalities in relation to crime (national rankings show that it has a relevant crime index). The methodology also followed the Routine Activity Approach, which integrates socio-economic conditions with crime types and rates. Thus, Crime mapping and Space Syntax Analysis were integrated into the traditional socio-economic analyses. The study concludes with an in-depth study of intervention strategies, differentiated into three groups: 1) Planning, 2) Urban Design and 3) Space Management. These strategies were applied to the case study in order to obtain a Masterplan with the actions to increase urban security.