APPLICATION OF CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN STRATEGIES IN THE DESIGN OF A CONVENTION CENTRE, IKHUENIRO, BENIN-CITY

The rise of insurgency and insecurity in Nigeria necessitates the provision of secure spaces, particularly public spaces. Convention centres are public facilities that make up an intricate part of the tourism industry. Such may be crime-prone areas causing a lack of motivation for users' to visit facilities that fail to provide a feeling of safety and security. Previous studies have assessed Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles and their application as crime prevention strategies in the built environment. Due to the possibility of crime associated with public spaces, in this case, Convention centres, CPTED strategies are analysed from existing literature and case studies to ascertain their relevance and efficiency in achieving optimum security in the proposed Convention centre. Hence, this research aims to design a Convention centre in Benin, Edo State, Nigeria, that integrates the principles of CPTED within the Convention centre environment. The study answered questions on Crime Prevention Strategies through existing literature, the CPTED strategies adopted in selected Convention centres, and the level of user satisfaction with security in the chosen facilities to achieve the study's objectives through adopting a mixed method. The research method facilitated qualitative and quantitative data acquisition as the research findings. The data obtained is analysed with content analysis and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The data presentation of the result includes tables, and pictures, with the analysis showing users' general satisfaction with security in the selected Convention centres, which encourages the facility usage. The study further elucidates how suitable design, planning, and application of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles from the project's conceptual stage. Integrating proper landscaping, material selection, site zoning, and overall spatial requirement can enhance security for crime prevention