Backyarding: Making Urban Safety Matter in Neighbourhood Development

Crime and violence are intrusive with both immediate and long-term implications for communities. This is particularly true for those who live in under-resourced neighbourhoods, such as backyard residents and people living in informal settlements. The converging crises of load shedding, water shortages and critical service infrastructure collapse further perpetuate the underlying conditions which allow for crime and violence to flourish. This not only impacts communities; it also creates a climate of risk for organisations working in these areas. In this context, it is clear that a security-focussed response only yields limited results.

This practice brief outlines the constitutional framework for safety and security as well as the pillars of area-based violence prevention interventions (ABVPI). It examines the key factors that make ABVPIs sustainable and draws on a successful project from practice to gain important lessons for replicability.

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