Terrorism represents a real threat for our society and to our peace of mind. The face of terrorism is undergoing systemic changes as the level of terrorist sophistication increases with the availability of knowledge and materials to carry out these acts of violence.
Access. Knowledge about bombs and terror has proliferated to a point that virtually any terrorist or criminal can easily acquire the information to build anything from a pipe bomb to a nuclear bomb, or develop killer toxins to carry out their particular transgressions. Timothy McVeigh, who blew up the Oklahoma City Courthouse, stated in an interview shortly after his arrest, that he picked the courthouse because ‘it was more architecturally vulnerable”. Who would have thought that a rental truck and a load of manure could be so deadly? What can the public and government agencies do to be effective in diminishing the threats and losses to persons, information, and property? How do you reduce the opportunity for and fear of crime in the built environment and improve the quality of life? The answer: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). This article addresses how to reduce the threats and vulnerabilities in the built environment by changing how we design and use space. READ MORE
