Making parks safer by design
Through guidelines set out in the Safer Canterbury: Creating Safer Communities booklets, the Council has been improving safety in green spaces throughout the city by using a new design of toilet block when constructing new facilities or performing upgrades to existing facilities.
In response to community concerns, the new toilet blocks (first created in 1993) feature outward-opening doors (pictured) and consist of single cubicles that are highly visible from surrounding areas.
Greenspace Unit Capital Projects Manager Brent Smith says the design improves safety, which is a critical part of the strategy. "With the outward-opening doors and single cubicles there are no areas for people to hide you immediately eliminate any entrapment areas," he says.
The design of the cubicles is not the single reason that safety is being improved, Mr Smith says. "The location of toilets is also important. When deciding on new locations, much consideration is given to where they are sited. The idea is to have them visible, with no blocked views from the main reserve area to ensure a high degree of passive surveillance."
When creating new blocks, Council staff also take into consideration the surrounding environment to make sure the design fits with the location.
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