Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design in Public Housing: A Primer for Creating Safe Neighborhoods

• NCJ Number: 182436
• Author(s): Severin L. Sorensen; Ellen M. Walsh
• Date Published: October 1998
• Length: 27 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Housing and Urban Development
• Sale Source: US Dept of Housing and Urban Development; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This booklet discusses crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) in public housing.

Abstract

The basic premise of CPTED in the context of public housing is that the nature of the buildings and lay-out of a community can attract offenders and make it easier for them to commit crimes and escape arrest. CPTED focuses on eliminating these features at the design stage, or modifying them on existing estates, to reduce crime and the fear of crime. It promises not only to reduce crime, but also to enhance the aesthetic appearance of a community through crime-free designs and to improve the residents’ quality of life. Additionally, CPTED draws on theories of crime, which focus on specific environmental factors that enable a criminal event to occur. The booklet discusses the history and basics of CPTED; community implementation of CPTED; assessments; community collaboration; measuring the impact of CPTED; and CPTED resources (including key publications, how to get a technical assistance grant, CPTED trainers and conferences and Internet resources). Notes, table, references