Keeping public spaces safe from criminals is a constant challenge. The UAE enjoys low rates of crime but rapid growth of the country’s big cities could threaten that.
Now the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council is moving in a sophisticated new direction to keep ahead of the problem. As The National reported yesterday, all new hotels, malls, and other open-to-the-public developments will have to comply with requirements that give safety from crime and terrorism a high priority. Existing facilities – also including schools, places of worship, transport stations, and more – will over time have to be modified as needed to meet the new standards.
It’s all in line with a spreading urban-planning concept known as “crime prevention through environmental design”, or CPTED.
The phrase was coined by a US criminologist in 1971, but the idea took some time to find support among urban planners. The basic concept is that a “built environment” can encourage crime, or discourage it. Dark backstreets, for example, are an invitation to muggers and burglars, whereas bright spaces with good sightlines naturally discourage crime. Outdoors, fences should not limit vision, shrubbery should be limited in height, lighting should be sufficient, and so on. Psychologists tell us that people behave better when they know or think they are being watched.
Many such measures are simple common sense, and also make public places more pleasing. Closely allied to CPTED is the "broken-window" theory of crime prevention: lack of maintenance can make an area seem derelict, and that greatly increases the likelihood of bad behaviour. Another key concept is that residents should take a communal interest in neighbourhood crime deterrence.
Simple crime is not the only problem that prudent planning of public spaces can help solve.
Terrorist acts and accidents such as fires, can also be nipped in the bud, or their effects can be minimised, through careful urban design.
CPTED is no panacea. Some of the academics who have studied the concept are less enthusiastic than others, though most do see value in it. Also, retrofitting existing spaces to conform to these principles can be costly.
Careful planning to deter crime is obviously worthwhile in new developments. Imposing these requirements on existing facilities may prove more difficult, but the principle is clear and deserves support.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
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Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Schedule
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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars