Late last year, Crime Prevention Ottawa (CPO) released a report entitled Challenges Associated with Community Development in Apartment Buildings. In a news release, the organization said this “is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn about making apartment living safer in Ottawa.”
The report was written by Carleton graduate student Julie Pilson.
Pilson, who is pursuing a master’s degree in geography, was recommended to CPO by Geography Prof. Fran Klodawsky.
Klodawsky said: “I knew that Julie had undertaken research for her undergraduate degree at Carleton in the field of social housing. She also completed a practicum placement at Ottawa Community Housing and has an ongoing passion into issues related to sustainable communities so I thought she would be the perfect person to undertake this project.”
Pilson conducted an intense literature review that formed the basis of her report and its overall conclusion that effective community development is an essential part of crime prevention in apartment buildings.
“I found that community development is restricted as a result of crime or the very real fear of crime,” says Pilson, “but that building social cohesion and organization can lead to positive changes and a decreased perception of fear.”
According to the report: “Researchers have concluded that crime is more likely to occur at apartment buildings that have multiple escape routes or are located at busy intersections.” Pilson says that changing this kind of “built environment”, both inside and outside the building, can have a very real impact on a community.
Says Pilson: “It is also important to recognize that these problems do not have a simple, single answer, but that many groups of people in a number of diverse fields must work together to create the space for these changes to take place.”
“I think that one of the major benefits of living in apartment buildings is the potential to have more contact with your neighbours as a result of living in such close proximity,” says Pilson. “It is this strength that community organizers can build on to enhance social cohesion and a willingness on the part of residents to work together to make their apartment building a safer and friendlier place to live.”
The REPORT highlights different strategies for making apartment buildings safer and involving residents in building successful communities.
Pilson hopes that communities and community groups will use the results of the report to try to build more socially integrated communities. “I hope that it will give apartment managers, owners and builders a new understanding of how the built environment can impact the community in both good and bad ways.”
Meanwhile, Pilson, who is married with four children, will continue to pursue her graduate degree at Carleton. “I really like the campus here at Carleton. The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies is very friendly and supportive. I think that a master’s degree in geography will open a lot of doors for me, in a range of different industries and that I will be able to find a job that is meaningful.”
