Leadership team

Dr. Kelly W. Sundberg

PhD, SAFE-AP

Founding President

Dr. Sundberg is an Environmental Criminologist, Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University, and expert member on the Standards Council of Canada’s committee for crime prevention through environmental design. Dr. Sundberg also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Law at the University of Adelaide, Associate Professor in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape at the University of Calgary, and Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Victoria, Master of Arts in Justice and Public Safety Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Political and Social Inquiry with a specialization in Criminology from Monash University. He is a co-author of the award-winning S.A.F.E. Design Standard®

Prior to his academic career, Dr. Sundberg served over fifteen years in various border security, law enforcement, and senior policy positions with the Government of Canada. In 2018, Dr. Sundberg was qualified by the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench as an expert on crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) and other crime reduction by design approaches and methods, and since has provided expert reports and testimony relating to security negligence and occupiers’ liability for courts in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.

Dr. Douglas Olson

DDES, MLandArch, FCSLA, ASLA, SAFE-AP

Chair, Board of Directors

Douglas holds a Doctor of Design degree specializing in planning from Harvard University, and a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Manitoba. He has served as an instructor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and is currently an adjunct professor in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape at the University of Calgary. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Landscape and received the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Lifetime achievement award in 2017. His projects have won multiple CSLA National Awards of Excellence.

For over 25 years as founder and CEO of O2 Planning + Design, Douglas directed the firm’s work in landscape architecture, planning, and urban design. He pioneered projects in the field of Geodesign - coupling GIS modelling with design and planning processes. He is a co-author of the award-winning S.A.F.E. Design Standard®. His work focuses on risk assessment and contemporary design that mitigates the risk and fear of crime while emphasizing place making and design excellence.

Dan M. Levinson

BA, PhD Candidate, SAFE-AP

VP, Operations

Dan is a risk analyst and physical security advisor with over 20 years of public safety and security experience. He has assisted government, corporate, and community organizations achieve their respective risk reduction and physical security goals, both domestically and internationally. Mr. Levinson is currently pursuing his Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Adelaide (Adelaide Law School) where he is studying how public and private sector organizations can most aptly mitigate the risk of premises liability and occupiers’ liability through informed risk analysis, space programming, and physical security. He is a co-author of the award-winning S.A.F.E. Design Standard®. He is also a graduate of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) / Criminal Intelligence Service Canada’s Criminal Intelligence Course.

Lauren Mitchell

BA (Hons), SAFE-AP

Project Manager

Lauren Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice (Honours) from Mount Royal University. Her academic background includes the study of issues surrounding global security, international justice, and contemporary approaches to criminal justice reform. She is experienced in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, research, and project coordination. Prior to her work at SAFE Design, she worked as a research assistant and coordinator engaging with various police services, stakeholders, and the public to study and inform decisions surrounding police reform in Canada.