CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (CPTED)

CPTED refers to a group of strategies intended to reduce the fear of crime and opportunities to commit crimes, such as break and entry, assault and vehicle theft.
These strategies should be considered during the planning and design stage of development.

WHY USE CPTED?

TO STOP CRIME

Criminal activities tend to focus on areas which are dark, isolated and unprotected.

The following design features have been identified as unsafe:
. poor lighting
. isolation
. lack of sightlines (not being visible to others due to corners and other barriers)
. no access to help
. hiding and entrapment spots (including trees and bushes)
. inadequate security

Designs which eliminate or minimize such features can reduce opportunities for crime.
Reducing the opportunity for crime has the following advantages for a community:
. creates an appealing environment where people want to live
. contributes to quality of life by reducing the social costs of injury, death and family breakdown. reduces municipal costs for policing and for victim services
. reduces insurance requirements

Poor planning and design do not cause crime, but can allow crimes to happen more easily. All designers have a responsibility to be aware of and incorporate crime prevention strategies into their work.
CPTED strategies need not be a limitation to design. More often than not they can help create the qualities of security and peace of mind that appeal to residents, without limiting the design aesthetic of a project.
The potential costs of not designing crime prevention into a project include: theft, assault, vandalism, and an unsafe living environment. These unpleasant aspects may well outweigh any initial construction savings, if any.

WHO USES CPTED?

It is anyone who wants to reduce opportunities for crime.

CPTED is based on the notion that crime and prevention is a community-wide responsibility and not only a police responsibility.
CPTED is implemented through a community network operating in an atmosphere of understanding, cooperation, and in some cases, compromise. The network is made up of a number of parties, including: planners, architects, landscape architects, designers, developers, property owners, contractors, community stakeholders, elected officials, police and city staff.

DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR CPTED

A. NATURAL SURVEILLANCE - when the public can easily view what is happening around them during the course of everyday activities. It can include:
. clustering dwelling units to create neighbor-to-neighbor surveillance
. landscape design and follow-up maintenance to allow clear, unobstructed view of the surrounding areas
. walkways and entries to be visible, well lit and overlooked by windows
. surveillance of public/private spaces to be increased with windows while maintaining privacy by putting windows at oblique angles and using materials like glass blocks
. see-through fences and walls for important gains in safety with minimum loss of privacy
. glazed doors in stairwell and parkade lobbies to reduce hiding places, open up views of the parking areas and make them a safer place; white or light color paint scheme and elimination of sharp corners to discourage hiding.
. mixed use in development to be encouraged to ensure the presence of people at all times
. entrapment spots such as alcoves, tunnels and elevator doors to be eliminated by the use of glazed doors, window and other transparent building materials
. placement of a careful mix of activity generators such as playgrounds, walkways, coffee stands and sitting areas to add 'eyes' to the street and public spaces.

B. FORMAL SURVEILLANCE - when a person such as a security guard or device such as a camera is used specifically to watch an area of activity.

TERRITORIALITY

All people have a natural sense of territoriality, areas which they consider their own and which they will defend. The purpose of CPTED is to extend this sense of ownership from private space into semi-private and even public spaces. To achieve this, the following should be considered:
. Design symbolic barriers through landscaping e.g. changes in paving stone patterns and color, changes in types of planting, changes in grades and use of fences. Hedges and fences can act as effective physical barriers.
. Design spaces around buildings so residents can meet there, e.g. foundations, benches, playgrounds, arches, seating walls.

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“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers.”

1 Peter 5:2