Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) emphasizes the philosophy that crime can be prevented or deterred through strategic design which influences human behavior. The ideas of CPTED were first developed in the 1960's and continue to play an important part in structure design to this day. CPTED is used when developing office buildings, neighborhoods, campuses, towns, and cities. It addresses landscaping, entrances, lighting, paths, and traffic circulation patterns. The core idea of CPTED is that human behavior can be influenced by the design of an environment and used to reduce crime.

Natural Access Control, Surveillance, and Territorial Reinforcement

Natural access control is the guidance of people entering and leaving an area by using elements such as paths, lighting, and even landscaping. For instance, cars can be prevented from encroaching on a pedestrian area through the use of bollards. These bollards can also emit light which illuminate the path for pedestrians and help to usher them to or from an entrance. Additional items like hedges may help to restrict people from leaving the intended path.

Natural access control can also be used to deter the misuse of non-normal entrances. A building may have a side door that is used for special circumstances, such as emergencies. This door could be a prime target for criminals because it may be away from normal traffic flow. To combat this with CPTED, the organization could consider placing a bench within visibility of the door which would encourage people to sit and gather, thus deterring any illegal acts. Clear lines of sight are used frequently in CPTED to dissuade criminal activity and create natural surveillance. Because of an absence of hiding places, criminals are less likely to target the area.

Organizations will also frequently try to create clear areas of ownership. CPTED teaches that if legitimate users have a sense of ownership about their area, they will be more likely to defend it if necessary. Users will also be more aware and skeptical of suspicious activity. The goal is to make any would-be criminals feel uncomfortable and as if they may be monitored at any point. Territorial reinforcement can be achieved through the use of fences, natural boundaries through landscape, paths for walkers, or areas to play. All of these things give a sense of ownership to the space.

Target Hardening

I will mention briefly that CPTED is distinct from target hardening. Target hardening includes activities such as installing locks, security systems, and cameras. These efforts may also deter crime, but do so through different measures. Target hardening often restricts the use of an area through physical and artificial barriers, whereas CPTED emphasizes opening up areas to encourage public use.