This is an exciting opportunity to research how by (re)designing urban public space, specific types of crime could be prevented. The state-of-the-art urban design research indicates that there is little research on the subject of knife crime.
Despite the alarmingly increasing number of knife-operated incidents reported to occur in public spaces, mostly in big cities around the world, gaps in knowledge are identified in perceptions of knife crime as a different type of crime. Police have identified the main hotspots of violent crime in general3, but there are limited studies on the specific urban design traits of the loci that characterise these hotspots. Moreover, although several agents that contribute to knife-crime activity are investigated, research for its prevention and reduction has not included a systematic and thorough analysis and understanding of the spatial conditions of the reported crime scenes. Moreover, there is a gap of knowledge in the potential of smart technologies to enhance knife-crime prevention. There have been recent studies showcasing how frequent patrolling alone can reduce crime in specific localities4. The above lead to the hypotheses that
a. the (re)design of the crime loci is a critical factor,
b. the deployment of social media could drastically improve the situation.
This project will enhance knife crime prevention in UK cities by developing an understanding of the characteristics of public spaces where crime recurrently occurs, and by proposing guidelines for their redesign both physically but also deploying social media and Smart Tools to increase awareness. Transforming public spaces will not only reduce the exponentially growing Knife crime rate but improve communities’ quality of life and safety. Outputs are in accordance with the government priority of crime prevention with multi-agency partnerships across Clinical Commissioning Groups, and Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs).
HotSpot Policing is a well-established technique utilised by law enforcement organizations to identify high crime areas. Risk Terrain Modelling (RTM) added further context to Hotspots by identifying 'risky' areas based on the placement of various commercial enterprises - pawnbrokers, liquor stores, 24/7 shops, abandoned buildings, mixed vs pure commercial or residential planning systems, materiality, lighting qualities, escape routes. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a long-established practice within the construction and architectural industries. At the intersection of RTM and CPTED there is an opportunity to identity a novel approach to reducing violent crime. Effectively managing or removing elements that contribute to the 'Place' from the Problem Analysis Triangle which built on the Routine Activity Theory.
The aim of this Ph.D. project is to:
O1. Map the spatial qualities of knife-crime prone urban areas (hotspots as identified by the police),
O2. Design, develop and evaluate inferential models to predict knife crime risk prone areas based on the data collected in O1,
O3. Propose design guidelines for safe and resilient urban spaces (risk terrain modelling and escape route design) for safer urban neighbourhoods,
O4. Understand and analyse the use of social media, to map and alert potentially dangerous zones of interaction.
The research will provide important inputs to policing initiatives, local authorities to redesign public spaces, and instantiate interdisciplinary research on the subject. The PhD will develop urban design guidelines to reduce knife crime by mapping natural and human-made aspects of knife crime hotspots and integrating these into multiagency environmental modelling.
The student will work with urban designers, forensic psychology, digital media, IoT monitoring, and police experts to study the multiagency of the place and space knife crime occurs, and with their urban design background will examine spatial characteristic -humanmade or natural, and their relationship to the broader urban context, and the nature of the broader area, system, and land-use- towards finally proposing updated urban design guidelines to discourage knife crime.
If you would like to discuss this research project please contact Prof Maria Vogiatzaki [Email Address Removed]
Candidate requirements
Applications are invited from UK Home fee status only. Applicants should have (or expect to achieve) a minimum upper second class undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a Architecture or Urban Design. A Master’s degree in a relevant subject is desirable.
Applicants must be prepared to study on a full-time basis, attending at our Chelmsford campus, for a January 2024 start
Application Procedures
Applications for a Vice Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship are made through the application portal on our website: https://e-vision.anglia.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&code1=R0010FCHE02D&code2=0013
We will review all applications after the submission deadline of 3rd October. Interviews are expected to be held on 17th October.
If you have any queries relating to the application process or the terms and conditions of the Scholarships, please email [Email Address Removed].
Documentation required
You will need the following documents available electronically to upload them to the application portal (we can accept files in pdf, jpeg or Word format):
- Certificates and transcripts from your Bachelor and Masters degrees, (if applicable)
- Your personal statement explaining your suitability for the project
- Passport and visa, or evidence of EU Settlement Scheme (if applicable)
- Curriculum Vitae
Please note the application form will ask you to upload a research proposal. You should upload your personal statement in this section, as proposals are not required for this scholarship.
Continue with Facebook
