City centre management and safer city centres: approaches in Coventry and Nottingham

Abstract

This paper examines two cities in terms of measures to improve feelings of safety of their city centres. Coventry and Nottingham are recognised as being at the forefront of town and city centre management in the United Kingdom. In this regard, this paper focuses on the creation of safer city centres and discusses how town centre management partnerships in the two cities have guided programmes to improve the sense of safety in their city centres. The effectiveness of such programmes is not just to reduce the actual incidence of offences, but also to change people's perceptions of their environments and to develop a sense of control, security and confidence — and a corresponding diminution in the fear of crime — so that people are not forced to impoverish their lives through avoidance, precautionary actions and fear of crime.