Bellvitge : unexpected success - against all odds : case study on crime prevention

Abstract

The scope of this case is the study of one particular neighbourhood called Bellvitge in the town of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat near the city of Barcelona, Catalunya. The focus of this case is to present an example of successful efforts for security management in a neighbourhood that was conceived as problematic from the outset due to its architectural design: An extremely high density of residential homes in high-rise slabs at the periphery of the city of Barcelona. In general, this kind of architecture in combination with the prevalence of working class residents has often been considered symptomatic for crime-prone neighbourhoods with high crime rates, vandalism, youth-gang activity and general physical and social disorder. In this particular case of Bellvitge, however, we find low crime rates, a low level of conflicts, good maintenance and a strong community who take pride in their neighbourhood. How is this to be understood? In this report we will elucidate the reasons for this rather surprising result. We will show that the situational context of urban security is a functional interaction of physical design, community policing and social support against the backdrop of historical development.