The Challenge
Liverpool City Council was redeveloping Light Horse Park into a community hub precinct — a public reserve adjacent to the CBD, bounded by the Georges River and an active rail corridor. The centrepiece: a multi-purpose community building accommodating public bathrooms, a function hall, a multi-faith prayer room, a cafe, and a bike shop. The local area’s crime profile sits above average across key offence categories, and the community hub’s user mix created competing design demands — a prayer room requires quiet and privacy; a cafe needs openness and activation; public bathrooms must be accessible yet resistant to misuse.
Our Approach
Core42 built the risk picture from 10-year crime trend data and demographic analysis before making a single recommendation, letting data set the priority rather than assumptions. The park was divided into three discrete assessment zones — North, South, and Community Hub — each analysed against the full CPTED framework. We attended six design meetings and conducted site visits, embedding the analysis within the design development process. Recommendations addressed specific architectural elements — glazing, door construction, lock specifications, lighting, and vegetation management — with annotated plan markups demonstrating surveillance coverage, access control points, and target hardening measures.
What We Delivered
A CPTED report containing 47 design-integrated recommendations distributed across the three park sections and the community hub building. The assessment evolved through four revisions over 13 months — including responses to a revised architectural scheme and a phased delivery decision — functioning as a living design input rather than a point-in-time compliance document.
Why It Matters
This project demonstrates CPTED advisory that integrates directly into an active design process. The evidence-based crime profiling, architect-ready specifications, and sustained design-team coordination are transferable to any council, state agency, or developer delivering community infrastructure or public realm projects in areas with elevated crime profiles.