Safe Places Network: A short history

Early beginnings

The roots of the Safe Places Network (Nätverk SäkraPlatser in Swedish) stretch back to 2008, when the first international seminar on urban safety was held in Tallinn, Estonia. Supported by the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation (Riksbankens Jubileumsfond) and organised by Professor Vania Ceccato together with Andri Ahven from the Estonian Ministry of Justice, this event marked the beginning of what would become a long-standing international dialogue on issues of crime, fear and the role of the built environment in shaping safety.

From early seminars to a formal network

A year later, in May 2010, Stockholm hosted the network’s first large conference on urban crime, fear and contemporary social order in the context of sustainability. Annual seminars and international exchanges were held from 2010 to 2017, gradually building a foundation for a permanent platform committed to advancing crime prevention through environmental design and place management. For a list of seminars and activities, see here. In 2017, with support from the Swedish Crime Prevention Council (Brottsförebyggande rådet, BRÅ), the initiative took on its current name — SäkraPlatser Nätverket (Safe Places Network). Since then, the network has expanded its activities to include regular seminars, practitioner-focused training, research cooperation and continuous engagement with public authorities, municipalities, transport actors and police organisations.

National and international interlinkages

SäkraPlatser Väst, established in 2018, expanded the network’s reach beyond Stockholm. Since 2022, it has been based at Högskolan i Borås within the Academy for Police Work, highlighting strong links between academic research, police practice, and regional partners. The node brings together university researchers, public agencies, municipalities, and private actors, reflecting a collaborative, cross-sectoral approach to crime prevention and safety. For more details, see here.

Säkraplatser has grown into a vital link between Sweden and the international community of researchers and practitioners in urban safety and place-based crime prevention. Through seminars, workshops, and collaborative projects, the network serves as an international hub, connecting academics, policymakers, urban planners, and law enforcement from countries across the Global North, such as the UK, Germany, and Canada, as well as the Global South, including Brazil, South Africa, and India, promoting evidence-based solutions to shared challenges in public safety, urban design, and social inclusion.

Looking ahead

Today, SäkraPlatser In tight collaboration with SäkraPlatser Väst continues to host seminars, webinars, workshops, courses, and research collaborations, serving as a dynamic forum for exploring and advancing issues such as transit safety, urban design, social inclusion, and place-based crime prevention. In an era marked by complex public safety challenges, SäkraPlatser plays a vital role as a bridge between research and practice, linking planning, design, and evidence-based crime prevention, while emphasising the fundamental importance of safety as a human right in a globally connected world.