Design and social malaise: A reevaluation

Social malaise and crime are on the increase in Britain today and everyone is affected in one way or another. There are a number of explanations that are put forward for the causes of social malaise and crime. Chief among these are social, biological and economic factors, the security of a property and the management and design of an area. All of these explanations have one thing in common; they are exclusive theories which do not recognise the importance of other factors. It is probable that the most effective approach would be a mixed one. Most recently there has been much emphasis put upon the role that design can play in crime prevention. This factor is reflected in Government guidance. This study has chosen to evaluate the work of Professor Alice Coleman, and the DICE team, who have modified a number of estates according to specific design criteria. The theory is that by enclosing space, and specifying ownership, social malaise and abuse, as well as crime, will decrease. Two estates have been chosen for the evaluation, both in London; the Mozart Estate and the Rogers Estate. The evaluation here has been on five levels: ethnographic, anecdotal, statistical indicators, reapplication of Coleman's research and crime figures. Some doubt was cast upon the validity of Coleman's method. Both Estates were felt to be unsuccessful in the terms of Coleman. Mozart Estate was found to be successful for other reasons. It was felt that this success could be attributed to management and policing changes. Design modification was seen to have an effect in combination with other changes. This factor lends weight to the argument that it is a multi-factoral approach that is needed