Lo spazio pubblico, aperto e sicuro. Favorire il benessere psico-fisico attraverso la CPTED. Public Space, Open and Safe. Promote Psycho-physical Well-being Through CPTED.

The UN has estimated that by 2050 two-thirds of the world’s population. Therefore, urbanization will be one of the major global trends with a potential significant impact on health. Public Health is an individual and collective condition, strongly influenced by the environmental context in which we live, the prevention of which requires a complex effort of actions on behaviours and lifestyles. Among the factors that can affect urban health is also recognized proper urban planning with a focus on public spaces. The open public space, accessible to all, is an important lever for the development of the city, as well as playing a fundamental role in environmental mitigation, the promotion of the physical and psychological well-being of people, and social inclusion. However, in most cities, there is a continuous increase in risk factors of this space. Among these is security, a demand constantly expressed by citizens and considered by the OECD a central element for the well-being of individuals. It is therefore essential to give them an answer. The project action for a renewed design of this place, based on the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), can play a role of great impact, becoming an instrument of prevention and therefore of environmental accessibility. The paper ends with a case study showing how the CPTED approach can significantly improve the quality of urban spaces by making them safe.