Book excerpt: Ordinary people are natural experts on safety in their own communities. The key to creating a city where people feel safe is to give citizens input into developing safer environments for themselves. This book offers a set of easy-to-follow guidelines - well illustrated with photos - that can be used to improve urban safety. It also includes success stories on the ways that ordinary people, working in partnership with local governments and agencies have taken the initiative to fight back against violent crime in public housing, transit, parks and open places, underground parking, schools, houses and neighbourhoods.