Evidence-informed violence and crime prevention interventions make neighbourhoods more inclusive, vibrant and safe because they allow the interventions to better reflect and address key issues for all people in that space. Safety audits and community safety forums are two mechanisms for robust community engagements that generate evidence. In addition, bringing stakeholders together, such as through communities of practice (CoP), allows us to learn from one another’s successes and challenges so that good work can be up-scaled and adapted. This brief discusses why local evidence is critical to inform effective violence and crime prevention interventions and how inclusive methodologies, such as safety audits, can provided grounded evidence. It also highlights how a CoP can be a critical source of ongoing peer learning, support and action. It further includes project examples that indirectly or directly, address risk factors to crime and violence and as such contribute to safer neighbourhoods.

This Practice Brief draws on the presentations and discussions at the first SPRINT Champions Event, held in October 2022, which brought together representatives from national, provincial and local government and civil society organisations. It is targeted at urban practitioners who want to contribute to making neighbourhoods and cities more inclusive, vibrant and safe. It does this by offering key insights shared by other practitioners who participated in the Champions Event.

This SPRINT learning brief highlights how different groups of youth are particularly vulnerable as both victims and perpetuators of violence and crime. It also highlights that while there are some shared characteristics and experiences, it is important to understand these different groups and how they experience spaces differently. The brief shares examples of work done to build the resilience of youth and empower them. Finally, using the 8 key ingredients for ABVPI, the brief distills key lessons from practice in using ABVPI for and with youth and proposes six key lessons which can be drawn on.

This is the tenth brief in the series of learning briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutes and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The brief highlights how spatial factors can influence gender-based vulnerability to violence and crime as characteristics of space can determine whether that space is/feels inclusive and safe or unsafe to some social groups. The brief shares examples of work done to activate spaces and to make them more safe and inclusive. Finally, using the 8 key ingredients for ABVPI, the brief distills key lessons from practice in using ABVPI to prevent gender based violence and crime and proposes four critical actions that can bring about more inclusive public space.

The Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) project aims to institutionalise area-based violence prevention interventions across government policies, programmes and practices. Resource Note 1 introduces the SPRINT project and gives an overview of the 4 different project streams.  

The Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) project aims to institutionalise area-based violence prevention interventions across government policies, programmes and practices. Resource Note 2 outlines the reality of crime and violence in South Africa, particularly for certain vulnerable groups, and motivates why safety should be at the centre of development planning in South Africa. It further argues that a focus on safety goes beyond security responses to address the underlying risk factors to violence and crime and bolster protective factors.

The Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) project aims to institutionalise area-based violence prevention interventions across government policies, programmes and practices. Resource Note 3 unpacks the root causes of crime and violence in South Africa. It utilises the socio-ecological model to explain the various risk and/or protective factors that occur at various levels of a person’s life that can increase or reduce their vulnerability to experiencing or perpetuating crime and/or violence.

The Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) project aims to institutionalise area-based violence prevention interventions across government policies, programmes and practices. Resource Note 4 explains that area-based violence prevention interventions (ABPVI) combine spatial, social and institutional interventions aimed at reducing or removing factors that contribute to an environment of risk and vulnerability to crime and violence. It includes key ingredients for implementing ABVPI and examples of what ABVPI may include.