I have no doubt that your ideas will ask a good deal of industry and commerce to design their products or manage their services in ways which minimise problems of crime and disorder. But businesses also suffer from crime, and I am concerned that we do as much as we can to prevent businesses becoming crime victims. Retail crime is a significant concern to business, which is why we recently set up a National Retail Crime Steering Group.
How can we help them design out crime?
Unfortunately factory / warehouse units are targeted by criminals for theft / burglary, and youths see them as an adventure playground invariably causing damage and sometimes arson. They therefore need to be constructed with a view to resisting these forms of attack. It is therefore that with this in mind I normally make generic comments, based on the design guide from the Secured By Design web site concerning Boundaries; Street Lighting & CCTV; Bin Stores; Standards for ground floor glass & windows; External doors; Shutter doors; Rear Fire Doors;
Walls especially if constructed of alloy sheeting with a sandwich of soft insulating material which can be vulnerable to attack by chain saw or similar tools. Burglar Alarms; Letter Boxes; Cycle storage areas; Landscaping; etc.
All too often the developer sys it is up to the incoming purchaser / renter to put in security appropriate for their business. However the outer shell should be made secure from the start and the layout should reflect designing out crime. Especially if the units are starter factory / business units then the incoming firm will not have spare cash to change ground floor windows and external doors to include laminate glass, etc.
Please promote the Secured By Design standard which then keeps up to date with changes in materials, and criminal methods, etc as time progress.
I agree with the comments given by Michael Clare, and would add that consideration could be given to the type of businesses that are co-located at any one site. The chances of becoming a victim of crime may be reduced if all night businesses such as bakers or some manufacturing industries were within the same site location as others. A lot of business parks seem to cater for like businesses that open diring normal office hours and close at weekends. This gives opportunities for the criminal to commit offences in an environment whereby they are unlikely to be seen / challenged.