Signs are not just indicators -- they also shape social order

Signs are not just indicators or information boards -- they also have cultural and social significance, layering meaning with their contextual and structural aspects. Whether we put up a paper notice or a symbolic finger post, we are following rules, written or unwritten, that govern how these are produced and shape how they are consumed.

Signs can also be symbolic shaping of the environment that changes how people behave. The 'Broken Windows' hypothesis, for example, says that when people see an unrepaired broken window they are more likely to break others or indulge in valid callous vandalism. Likewise when we see litter, we are more likely to drop more as we see the unaddressed action as legitimizing similar action.

More positively, a group of citizens in Pennsylvania spent time tidying vacant lots and abandoned houses. In a study of passers-by, it was found that heart rates reduced as people appreciated the beauty and reduced their fear of attack.

Signs come in all shapes and sizes. Places, buildings, clothing, trinkets, notices and more, all send messages to us. We note libraries, green spaces, decay and litter as indicators of safety or not. When we talk of 'nice places' we often mean places that are clean and in good repair, with smiling people and public facilities.

If we want people to feel good, then we need make places that tell them they can feel good without fear of harm. We can also engage them in this, creating ownership as they build their liveable, loveable places.

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