Changing Street Layouts To Reduce Residential Burglary (A Methodological Review) (From Link Between Crime and the Built Environment, Volume 2, P C251-C262, 1980, by Tetsuro Motoyama et al - See NCJ-79544)

• NCJ Number: 79562
• Author(s): H Rubenstein; T Motoyama; P Hartjens
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: American Institutes for Research
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Available on microfiche from NCJRS as NCJ-79544.

Annotation

This review assesses C. Bevis' and J. B. Nutter's investigation of whether relatively accessible street layouts are associated with relatively high rates of residential burglary. A random sample of 30 census tracts in Minneapolis, Minn., was considered.

Abstract

The research design includes hypothesis testing in two separate phases. A set of four groupings of streets (dead end, cul de sac, 't' type, and 'L' type) were used, and a measure of 'relative accessibility' was developed for individual blocks, based on the number of directions from which a car would enter or leave a block. A random sample of 11 to 16 blocks was selected for each type of street from the census tracts. The nearest through block feeding traffic into the study block was used as a control group for each study block of limited accessibility. Crime rate data were collected from police records, while local directories provided resident counts. The study concluded that a relationship exists between the relative accessibility of a street and the burglary rate, with less accessible streets having lower burglary rates. The conclusion appears to be justified by the results reported. It is noted that the authors do not suggest a causal link between street layout and residential burglaries, but only an association between the two factors. In view of the theoretical works cited, the findings are plausible and can be described as further evidence supporting the theories. For the original report, see NCJ 51937.