Secured by Design was created in 1989 as a response to perceived failings of the estates built in the UK's postwar era, with two focuses: the vulnerability of certain construction methods, such as doors or glazing that were considered easy for burglars to bypass; and the wider design of housing estates or urban areas, which often incorporated pedestrian routes that were thought to create escape routes for criminals.
[10] Architect Russell Curtis criticised the scheme's standards as "diametrically opposed to good placemaking", citing examples of his practice where Designing Out Crime Officers had called for public areas to be gated off and arguing that they had too much influence over local authority planners.
[1] Secured by Design has also been criticised for the removal of street furniture and planting, including a flower walkway in Southwark that was said to be blocking CCTV sight lines,[11] benches and shrubs in parks in Ashford,[12] and foot and bike paths in Horsham.
Responding to Harper's criticisms, Matthew Scott, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent, claimed local residents in Ashford supported action to reduce anti-social behaviour.
[14] Jon Cole, the COO of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives argued that criticisms are based on misconceptions of the scheme, that cul-de-sacs are self-policing, and that overall "there is sometimes a little bit of inconvenience, but one which buys enormous amounts of safety.