• By Surina Singh
• October 09, 2019

Open to the Public: Rethinking Security & Access in Public Space

How Secure are Our Public Spaces?
We hear the news: well used and active public spaces are increasingly vulnerable to a variety of threats. Incidents in Berlin, Nice, London, Boston, and New York City shock us and increasingly make citizens feel unsafe, even while doing ordinary activities. As planners and designers, our responsibility is to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all—but how do we keep people safe in these public spaces while ensuring they remain active social places that foster civic engagement and openness? This question was the central discussion point for our expert panel that represented the perspectives of urban planners, first responders, and landscape architects.

The Need to Balance Security and Access
As our region continues to grow, public spaces are increasingly used to help local economies and revitalize urban centers. These outdoor spaces, which often include cultural resources, are increasingly asked to accommodate more people and host a greater variety of uses and programs. These programs include regularly hosted events at urban parks, intermittent fairs that require streets to be blocked off, or larger areas that transform to accommodate a national celebration over one or two days. Alongside placemaking efforts that bring people together, it is important to also assess vulnerabilities within a variety of public space uses and understand key threats and the security-related risks these spaces and events face.

Panel Considers Intersection of Security and Public Space
On September 24, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), in partnership with the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), hosted Open to the Public: Rethinking Security & Access in Public Space at the U.S. Navy Memorial Naval Heritage Center’s Burke Theater. Jess Zimbabwe from Plot Strategies moderated the session that featured Susan Silberberg from CivicMoxie, Kris Cline from Federal Protective Service, and Gary Hilderbrand of Reed Hilderbrand.

Roxanne Blackwell, ASLA’s Acting Executive Vice President/CEO opened the evening by highlighting the key role landscape architects, as designers of the public realm, play in addressing security design challenges. She expressed confidence that in having these discussions and encouraging open discourse, better solutions will emerge.

NCPC Vice-Chairman Thomas Gallas stressed NCPC’s commitment to hold a dynamic and timely conversation about security and public space, one of the most important planning and design issues we face in the nation’s capital. He described Washington as the civic heart of our nation where locals and visitors celebrate, commemorate, demonstrate, and enjoy daily life. He further emphasized that people deserve an open and safe experience, whether walking to work or enjoying a concert in a park.

The panelists’ high-level conversation contemplated the current state of security in the public realm versus how it might be approached and designed to better balance safety and accessibility. Susan Silberberg described our public spaces as “third places: places that are neither home nor work. Places that are the core of ‘civitas’ – where there is free and unfettered access and an exchange of cultures and ideas. Where people play, rest, contemplate, meet and greet, and build relationships.” She added that for any security-related physical design improvements, it is important to know the key stakeholders, motivations behind the improvements, and best practices for similar applications. She stressed that, at a basic level, all security interventions should improve the aesthetic quality and people’s use of the public space. Other measures such as separation of pedestrian and vehicular areas, reliance on security “ambassadors” (such as Business Improvement District staff), and partnerships are also critical for improving safety and security.

Kris Cline’s Federal Protective Service perspective highlighted the range of threats to those occupying public spaces; how the threat environment has evolved over the past couple of years; and strategies and best practices to consider when addressing security needs for events and public gatherings. He reiterated that physical security enhancements are only one way to address security in public space. On the other end of the spectrum, there are unseen and imperceptible measures, such as coordination between law enforcement entities, preparedness, more awareness among citizens, and reliance on various means of technology including security cameras.

Gary Hilderbrand discussed how to incorporate physical security improvements when retrofitting or adapting existing public spaces or cultural landscapes without compromising the public realm. He emphasized the need to consider security improvements early in the design process to ensure better integration in the site elements. Using the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas as a case study, Gary demonstrated how strategic design and inclusive stakeholder involvement can improve the public experience for visitors and residents. The project incorporates pedestrian-only areas that during the day are only accessible to Alamo visitors, but reopen in the evening to everyone, allowing the public to enjoy this space which is a point of civic pride to San Antonio residents.

Key Takeaways
In response to questions from the audience, the panelists noted the importance of developing solutions that both achieve security objectives and result in well-designed public spaces. Bringing together design and security professionals throughout the design process, and considering security needs early on, is key. They observed that security solutions are often reactionary, trying to prevent the most recent incident from happening again, but that it is important to conduct risk assessments to determine appropriate security requirements, and be forward-looking to provide suitable security solutions. There was collective agreement that even though security solutions will vary from place to place, each should consider shared resources; be sensitive to surrounding context; rely on strong public-private partnerships; incorporate new technologies; build upon the research and lessons learned from other cities; and be adaptable to future security needs.

Next Steps
This program was the first step in NCPC’s examination of this important issue. One of the agency’s priorities is to further flesh out the issues, challenges, and possible solutions for public spaces of different types and sizes. The long-term goal is to develop policies and guidance related to this issue that will inform updates to the Federal Urban Design Element, which NCPC uses when evaluating plans for public spaces.

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