Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

Timothy Crowe, Lawrence J. Fennelly

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9780124116337
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Criminology
• Index: Social Sciences

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, 3e is a vital book for anyone involved in architectural design, space management, and urban planning. The concepts presented in this book explain the link between design and human behavior. Understanding this link can enable a planner to use natural environmental factors to minimize loss and crime and to maximize productivity. This practical guide addresses several environmental settings, including major event facilities, small retail establishments, downtown streets, residential areas, and playgrounds. A one-stop resource with explanations of criminal behavior and the historical aspects of design, it teaches both the novice and the expert in crime prevention how to use the environment to affect human behavior in a positive manner. - Fully updated with substantial new material in each chapter - Useful illustrations describe the design and layout concepts in an easy to understand manner - Written by a well-qualified author in the field of crime prevention

Part 1

1 Introduction to CPTED

2 Twenty Most Frequently Asked Questions

3 CPTED Concepts and Strategies

4 Behavioral Precedents of CPTED

5 Using the Environment to Affect Behavior

6 Aesthetics, Environmental Cues, and Territorial Behavior

7 Crime and Loss Prevention

8 Examples of CPTED Strategies and Applications

9 CPTED Implementation Program Planning

10 CPTED Training Outline

11 Objectives for a School Environment

1

Introduction to CPTED

The theory of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design is based on one simple idea: that crime results partly from the opportunities presented by physical environment. This being the case, it should be possible to alter the physical environment so that crime is less likely to occur.

—Ronald V. Clarke

Chapter Outline

Background

Asking the Right Questions

The Need for CPTED

Competing Crime Prevention Strategies

CPTED and Contemporary Planning Models

CPTED in the United States

CPTED Worldwide

Results of CPTED

Scope and Content of this Book

Background

The purpose of this book is to provide challenging questions and practical advice to people who make decisions that affect the physical environment and human functions in the community. This book is not intended to be an academic study of the environment, of crime prevention, or of environmental psychology; however, it does offer practical insights into the application of the theories that underpin crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) concepts and principles. Because of the pervasiveness of CPTED’s potential influence, it would be impossible for this book to be a complete study of all of the fields and disciplines that CPTED topics encounter.

A practical guide to the use of CPTED concepts is necessary because the research literature has yet to thoroughly investigate the considerable small-scale applications of the CPTED concept. Controlled research and evaluation activities are required to make CPTED a fully definitive concept. However, buildings must be built, major events must be conducted, and communities must continue to grow without the benefit of perfect scientific knowledge. Accordingly, this book contains some simple concepts and a variety of examples to assist the builder, planner, architect, or police and security consultant who will be making decisions about individual projects and human functions.

The intention of this book is not to tell people how to design buildings or what decisions to make about the future of the properties that they manage. It is rather to share concepts and ask questions that may never have been asked, with the hope that these concepts and questions will improve decisions and stimulate greater creativity in designing for and managing human activities.

This third edition builds on the author’s life work with the concept of crime prevention through environmental design. The CPTED concept, coined by Dr. C. Ray Jeffery in his book by the same title, expands on the assumption that the proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the fear of crime and the incidence of crime and to an improvement in the quality of life. This idea translates to many practical and useful applications in a wide range of settings.

The contents bring together the observations, consulting work, and lectures and teaching materials from the first two editions of this book, along with new material written by the author before his sad passing on February 21, 2009. This third edition also includes updated chapters and fresh contributions by other CPTED practitioners who knew and worked with him.

Asking the Right Questions

CPTED concepts, at least as used in this work, are largely self-evident. Most of the time recipients of CPTED assistance exclaim, “I should have thought of that!” Too often, after it is too late to undo the damage, an individual will say, “I thought of that, but I was afraid to ask.” It is quite common for police officers and security consultants to withhold their comments in various situations because they feel that they would be overstepping the boundaries of their security role. Yet the performance of architects, developers, and facility managers can only be as good as the information they are given from all quarters. Once the basic principles of CPTED are understood, it is difficult to look at the environment again without asking, “What if …?” At the beginning of CPTED seminars and training programs, it is common for the following three points to be stressed by the instructors:

1. Never look at the environment the same way again.

2. Question everything, no matter how trivial.

3. Learn the language of the professions you are working with and you will understand their motivations.

Elizabeth Meehan, a color and light consultant and a visiting lecturer of the National Crime Prevention Institute (NCPI), summarized the problem with interior design. She said that illumination consultants are always looking up. Floor-covering consultants are always looking down. Wallpaper consultants are always looking at the walls. But no one usually looks at the whole interior as the sum of its parts. Each profession is trained to focus attention on its unique objectives. For instance, police officers are trained to look at openings—doors and windows. Not until they have had CPTED training do they begin to see the property as a whole, as it was intended to be. And it is not until this happens that a good crime prevention officer or security consultant can contribute to meeting the objectives of the human function. Never look at the environment the same way again. The old expression “If I had a nickel for every time something happened that I knew would happen and didn’t stop, I’d be rich” too often applies in CPTED experience. Designers and planners need help in identifying the little problems, which are often their undoing. For instance, many years ago the city of Louisville, Kentucky, replaced a portion of the failed River City pedestrian mall with a cobblestone street that was intended for people to walk on. Instead, people fell down. Similarly, in Jacksonville, Florida, a River Walk project with a pier was installed along a transitional site across from its downtown riverfront improvement program. But the designer got so involved in the aesthetics of his boardwalk that he installed boards that were separated to allow the pedestrian to see, as well as hear, the water lapping underneath. This was great for water drainage, but not for high-heeled shoes! Question everything.

Many agencies and professions learn to stick to their own bailiwick and avoid direct conflict. At least in direct conflict they are still talking, albeit somewhat loudly. It is not until someone is able to cross over the disciplines that common interests are found. This is perhaps the hardest lesson for law enforcement officers and security consultants to learn. It is too easy to allow buildings to be built and events to be planned before thinking about security. There is a tendency to feel out of place in insisting that security be considered in the design and layout of an environment where a human function or activity will take place. Conversely, event managers, architects, and planners often view security and law enforcement consultants as myopically concerned with what can go wrong, not with what can go right. CPTED enthusiasts know that planning ahead to make things go right is the key to reducing or eliminating security problems. Learn the language.

The Need for CPTED

Do you currently have review and approval authority for all physical changes occurring in your jurisdiction? Are you involved at the concept stage in event planning, or are you last in line to comment on a completed plan? Are you tired of hearing about new crime prevention efforts that are abandoned after several years? Are you willing to take a calculated risk, one that presents great promise for the future role of your organization or community?

It’s been a mere 40 years since C. Ray Jeffery coined the term, but any analysis of CPTED concepts and principles reveals a long and ancient tradition of leveraging the environment to support and influence human behavior. After initial awareness of CPTED began in the 1970s, there was a surge of interest again in the late 1980s and early 1990s. With CPTED-related policies and ordinances in place in some communities for more than 20 years, trends are pointing to another resurgence of interest in CPTED. CPTED practitioners are being asked to consider how previous implementations of the fundamental CPTED principles can be refreshed in an environment that is evolving to respond to the needs of the uses of these spaces. Consequently, CPTED is again being seen as a featured topic at numerous conferences and seminars around the world. For example, the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) featured a CPTED session in its store security segment at the 2012 convention in Philadelphia. In addition, the ASIS publication Facilities Physical Security Measures (ASIS GDL FPSM-2009) includes CPTED as a key consideration.

Since some of the earliest implementations of CPTED-related laws and ordinances in Florida, literally thousands of jurisdictions around the world have followed suit, establishing policy, passing laws and regulations, and implementing guidelines to ensure that CPTE...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Epilogue
• Acknowledgments
• Foreword
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Appendix A. Broward County School CPTED Matrix*
• Appendix B. School CPTED Survey
• Appendix C. CPTED Design Directives for Dormitory and Student Lounges
• Appendix D. Convenience Stores and Gas Stops CPTED Assessment Form
• Appendix E. Malls and Shopping Centers CPTED Assessment Form
• Appendix F. Apartments, Condos, and Public Housing CPTED Assessment Form
• Index