Safety in Town Centres: Reflections from the Latest IPM Webinar
The Institute of Place Management recently convened an international audience for a thought-provoking webinar on safety in town centres, exploring this complex issue from academic, practitioner, and international perspectives.
Opening the session, Ian Harvey, Head of IPM, set the tone by reaffirming IPM’s mission to professionalise place management globally and highlighted the the fact that IPM had identified safety and crime as one of the top 25 factors influencing high street vibrancy. He explained that within the IPM members area there are more resources available on how places are tackling these issues: IPM Members Area. Harvey welcome participants joining from across the UK, Finland, and beyond, the webinar reflected the international relevance of these challenges and
Dr Rebecca Abushena (Manchester Metropolitan University) presented fresh research on the role of ontological security - person’s psychological sense of stability and routine - in shaping perceptions of safety in temporary urban environments like Christmas markets. Her study identified several “paradoxes” for practitioners to navigate:
- The social paradox: Crowds can simultaneously feel protective and threatening.
- The safety paradox: Visible security measures such as armed police can reassure some but unsettle others.
- The sensorial paradox: The sensory environment (light, sound, scent) can influence perceived security but in different ways for different groups, including mothers and neurodiverse visitors.
Rebecca’s key message: security must be a conscious consideration in designing these spaces—not an afterthought.
Taking us to Finland, Kirsi Eronen (Turku Centre Association) shared practical insights from Turku, a compact historic city where perceptions of safety- particularly around groups of young people and substance users - differ from statistical reality. Kirsti highlighted the success of Turku’s multi-professional safety group, bringing together police, city officials, healthcare providers, and property owners to collaboratively address both actual and perceived safety issues. She emphasised the importance of trust, long-term approaches, and the positive feedback received from deploying well-trained patrols in the city centre during the busy summer months. Kirsi has previously shared a blog on safety measure in Turku for the IPM.
In the UK context, Andrew Sharman (Business Crime Reduction expert) challenged prevailing narratives about crime in town centres. Drawing on his work in Exeter, he argued that most offending is driven by a small cohort of vulnerable individuals rather than organised crime. He made a compelling case for improving data quality, multi-agency partnerships, proactive offender management, and recognising the deep societal causes behind town centre crime, from inequality to substance dependency.
Concluding the session, Dr Paul O’Hare (Manchester Metropolitan University) offered a historical and critical perspective on security in public space, reflecting on lessons from Northern Ireland and counter-terrorism design approaches. Paul called for integrating security within wider resilience and placemaking strategies—designing security features that contribute to public realm quality and recognising that urban safety must balance visible protection with broader community confidence.
Throughout the webinar, a recurring theme was the need for place managers to stay ahead of change, whether driven by new social behaviours (like the rise of e-scooters), shifting public perceptions, or evolving technology. The discussion underscored that there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution: every place is different and requires tailored, collaborative responses.
This session forms part of IPM’s ongoing work to develop a comprehensive Continuing Professional Development (CPD) framework for place managers worldwide, with a focus on aligning skills and standards to emerging challenges - including urban security, resilience, and wellbeing.
The recording, speaker slides, and papers will soon be available in the IPM Members Area, alongside hundreds of other resources supporting the professionalisation of place management.
About the author
Formed in 2006, the Institute of Place Management is the international professional body that supports people committed to developing, managing and making places better.