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Purpose – Designers and planners in the UK are being asked by government to address sustainability. This paper seeks to explore how such issues can be addressed with the urban design process. From the literature, it is unclear when specific sustainability issues should be addressed, who actually makes decisions and what influences them, or how different stakeholders are engaged. Design/methodology/approach – A case study is presented, focusing on the early stages of an urban design and redevelopment process taking place in a deprived region of the UK. Interviews with key decision-makers and observations were conducted and subsequently analysed using content analysis. Findings – The findings show that the process adopted by clients and consultants was relatively similar to that identified by the literature. The importance of creating a sustainable community, and of addressing deprivation and poor services was recognised from the outset. Sustainability was referred to in the briefing to select a team of consultants to develop a vision and regeneration framework. However, specific problems related to sustainability, such as crime and poor health, were not communicated through the briefing documents, for fear of deterring private investment. Indeed, the need to attract private investment was a key aspect of early stage of the urban design process. Originality/value – This paper highlights potential difficulties of addressing sustainability at the early stage of the design process, when private sector backing is such a crucial component of the regeneration.

This paper reviews the contribution of the UK Design Against Crime (DAC) programme to Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) thinking and practice. By focusing on design practice and drawing attention to the role of product, communication and environmental designers, DAC engages a wider group of design professionals in combating crime and fear of crime, harnessing their unique skills to develop creative and often subtle design-led solutions. DAC promotes a holistic, human-centred approach, where the aim is to incorporate crime prevention measures into the design concept without inconveniencing the user or creating the perception of a fortress society. In so doing, it extends the scope of CPTED approaches such as the UK's 'Secured by Design' scheme beyond the built environment.

This anthology provides the first comprehensive and comparative international overview of effective approaches to "designing out" crime from products and services. Prominent criminologists and scholars of design analyze the lessons derived from a wide range of successful design-against-crime initiatives worldwide, including (among many others): technologies that have dramatically decreased cell phone "cloning" in the U.S.; the fitting of immobilizers to prevent car theft; adoption of tamper-resistant product packaging; the redesign of banknotes to block counterfeiting; account verification technology to minimize credit card fraud; and the use of hard-to-shatter glass to reduce injuries in bar brawls.