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Flip the Streets: community-enacted public criminology and the reclamation of public space
Safer Communities, Pages: 1 - 19
Swansea University Author:
Lella Nouri
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Author accepted manuscript document released under the terms of a Creative Commons CC-BY licence using the Swansea University Research Publications Policy (rights retention).
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DOI (Published version): 10.1108/sc-11-2025-0074
Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to introduce community-enacted public criminology as an extension to existing models of public criminology. It does so through the Flip the Streets (FLP) initiative, a participatory, arts-based response to hate graffiti that embeds criminological learning and action within c...
| Published in: | Safer Communities |
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| ISSN: | 1757-8043 2042-8774 |
| Published: |
Emerald Publishing Limited
2026
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71674 |
| Abstract: |
Purpose: This paper aims to introduce community-enacted public criminology as an extension to existing models of public criminology. It does so through the Flip the Streets (FLP) initiative, a participatory, arts-based response to hate graffiti that embeds criminological learning and action within communities. The paper argues that co-produced, place-based interventions constitute a necessary fourth strand of public criminology, capable of addressing the everyday harms of exclusion, fear and “ambient hate”. Design/methodology/approach: Six participatory action research interventions were delivered across Swansea (2022–2024) with 140 participants (105 children and young people; 35 university students), using facilitated dialogue, criminological framing, co-produced mural design and public installation. Qualitative data (fieldnotes, observations, informal interviews and community feedback) were analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s (2012) approach. Findings: Visible, creative interventions reduced fear and insecurity, strengthened belonging and generated intergenerational and institutional trust. Young people, often stigmatised in public-safety narratives, became active agents of prevention and cohesion. The analysis demonstrates how criminological concepts (e.g. harm, stigma, desistance) can be operationalised in everyday spaces to support community-led safety. Originality/value: This paper advances a new fourth strand of public criminology, community-enacted public criminology, in which criminological knowledge is co-produced with communities through participatory, arts-based practice. The FLP model offers a scalable, evidence-informed framework aligned with the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan and Safer Streets priorities, providing practical guidance for local authorities and community-safety partnerships. |
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| Keywords: |
Public criminology, Community safety, Hate crime, Participatory action research, Community cohesion, Creative methods |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Start Page: |
1 |
| End Page: |
19 |