10 Best White Leggings

Best White Leggings in 2023

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Security: A Serious Issue for General Contractors

General contractors face numerous challenges in taking on major building projects such as a high rise residential apartment building. Security is one of those challenges that are easy to forget but that mean so much to the future of the community.

The first aspect that needs to be addressed in greater detail is territoriality, otherwise known as defensible space. Territoriality is the range, or area, around a dwelling in which a person feels comfortable in exerting their personal social control. This can be best described in the example of the classic single family home owner who assumes responsibility for and takes action on happenings that take place not only within the walls of the home but in the surrounding yard and property as well. The urban climate in our society has grown and changed over the last few decades and so has the nature of the average person's claims to personal defensible space. Developers profit more from closely stacked townhouses, apartment complexes and high-rise structures. These structures also better fit into the nature of urban living, where space is limited and costly. Despite the benefits to these changes, the notion of individual territoriality has suffered greatly. Instead of being conscious and interactive of the surroundings of a home, most people who live in urban areas now exert little social control over any space beyond the actual walls of their apartment, leaving that responsibility to other authorities. A general contractor would benefit future residents by taking this issue into account during the planning and design process.

Effective planning and use of territoriality can lead to improved natural surveillance. Natural surveillance is the ability of all people to observe the surroundings, clearly seeing the range of normal activity that takes place in an area in order to identify behavior or personnel which are potentially threatening in some way and to take action pertaining to those issues. Higher levels of visibility create a greater chance for observation and action. In most cases, before an observer will take action they must feel that personal or property rights are being violated, they must be able to identify with the victim and they must feel that by taking action they will be both helping the victim and that they will be safe from retribution. A general contractor who keeps both territoriality and natural surveillance in mind while creating design guidelines will assist in keeping future residents safer and improving the quality of life in a community.

Design guidelines are critical in creating a definable and defensible space through the use of architecture and planning. The thoughtful and effective use of design guidelines, particularly in the design of new urban residential complexes, fosters a greater sense of territoriality as well as increased natural surveillance for the complexes residents. In a scenario where a new complex borders a high crime urban area there are a number of design principles that can be implemented to improve the quality of the construction. A water barrier, such as a pond, placed on the outside of the perimeter between the site and the adjoining street limits the ability for trespassers to access the property, provides a large open area which improves visibility and is aesthetically attractive. Utilizing thoughtful street design can make even parking areas feel like a natural extension of a person's residence. Ideas to keep in mind here would be to close the properties streets to through traffic, incorporate a gated community, insure the placement of adequate lighting, placing playgrounds and benches in open areas, and installing speed bumps that maintain a safe speed within the community. Landscaping should be placed to foster a sense of a semipublic area with open visibility in mind. Locations such as entrances, lobbies, elevators and parking areas should be designed with maximum visibility as a focus to help ensure the safety of these semipublic places. Additional security devices such as cameras, methods of access control to public areas such as laundry rooms, pools, and lobbies and perimeter fencing also need to be included into the initial planning. In all aspects of the design, an effort should be made to promote active interaction between residents to improve a sense of territoriality thus the likelihood of the citizens to become active in self policing their community.

Territory and personal defense strategies are influenced and improved by effective use of site design that promotes territoriality and natural surveillance. Although grounds security and perimeter security provide the first two primary lines of defense against unwanted visitors, good lighting, fencing, cameras and other physical barriers are not always effective. Designing the property to maximize social interaction between residents and maintaining perceived areas of semi-privacy should prove most effective against crime. Involved residents will be more likely to spot unwanted activity than will most security measures. A program which informs and educates residents, through free "town hall" style meetings in the club house, or through distributed literature such as a monthly news letter have little cost or expense and the potential for significant rewards via crimes which never occur.

Confidence restoration strategies, including efforts to generate neighborhood interests and support in the community should be strongly encouraged. Economic commercial investment in the surrounding community encourages a prosperous social and economical setting. Many strategies that have already been discussed in planning and design, such as well lit streets and open social areas, will also assist in efforts towards confidence restoration strategies.

In conclusion, security is a major concern with many intricate details that must be taken into consideration in order to maximize efforts to improve safety and quality of life for residents of new residential buildings. Proper planning in design can increase the feeling of territoriality, resulting in increased crime prevention through citizen interaction. In an age where urban development and crime are both increasing general contractors who choose to take on major urban building projects have more security issues to contend with than ever before in the past. Today's security industry is up to the challenges of our modern times and can offer a great deal to general contractors willing to take on such projects.