Tunnels in the urban fabric: balancing connectivity and safety

This study explores the balance between connectivity and safety in urban tunnels, analysing their criminogenic characteristics using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), regression models, and police data from Stockholm, Sweden. The findings reveal that 86% of police-recorded incidents in tunnels are concentrated in 2% of the tunnels, and these mostly involve vandalism. Inner-city tunnels and those near metro stations are the most crime-prone, except for cycleway tunnels, while violence is concentrated in tunnels near sports arenas. Designing short tunnels, encouraging community participation in reporting criminal activities, and reinforcing maintenance efforts are essential for promoting tunnel safety.