Gwanak-gu Leads Crime Prevention with Safe Alleyway Development

Creating Village Environments with Safer Living Design to Psychologically and Physically Prevent Crime... Professional Groups Hold Safer Living Workshops with Residents to Establish Resident-Led Safe Alleyways

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) announced on the 1st that it has completed the creation of safe alleys in Seonghyeon-dong, Jungang-dong, and Namhyeon-dong to realize a safe and clean living environment for residents.

The safe alley creation design project is a public design initiative aimed at crime prevention through environmental design techniques applying Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), fostering a safety village led by residents.

Since May, the district analyzed the social and physical environments of each project site to identify issues, selected dangerous areas within the villages through resident feedback, and developed and applied safety solutions such as safety fences, light fixtures, and safe resting areas.

In particular, in Seonghyeon-dong, uphill fences and safety fences in building gaps were installed to address steep slopes and crime-prone areas. In Jungang-dong, lightters (warning lights and sound emitted upon human detection for a certain time) and light fixtures (solar sensor lighting) were installed to solve problems in low-rise residential areas and dark alleys.

In Namhyeon-dong, customized safe alleys were created considering local characteristics by strengthening the clarity of the autonomous crime prevention squad posts and establishing safe resting areas to reinforce territoriality at the boundary between commercial and residential areas.

Additionally, in all three neighborhoods, safe design was applied to emergency bells that were previously installed on existing CCTV poles and hard to see, enhancing the visibility of emergency bells to create an environment where immediate help can be requested in emergencies.

Furthermore, life safety workshops were held with residents, community leaders, and autonomous crime prevention squads within the project area to build consensus on safe villages and ensure the sustainability of the project through resident-led safe alley creation.

The expansion of the life safety design project is one of the pledges of the 7th local government administration. With the completion of this project, a total of 19 neighborhoods and 22 safe alleys have been created, and additional safe alleys are planned to be established within the Nangok Urban Regeneration Project area this year.

Safe Alleyway Development Location Map

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “I hope that the safe alleys created by reflecting residents’ opinions and tailored to local characteristics will make residents’ walks home lighter,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to realize a clean living environment in Gwanak where residents can live safely.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.