NCJ Number
79550
Date Published
1980
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This review assesses Karen Franck's research results concerning the effects of physical characteristics of moderate-income, federally assisted housing developments on crime-related behaviors; the research is part of a study on housing developments and their residents' community sentiments and activities.
Abstract
The Franck study consisted primarily of a household survey of 1,615 residents who lived in 35 housing developments, distinguishable in their physical design and the residents' social characteristics. The survey instruments include both fixed-choice and open-ended questions. Path analysis was used to investigate the fixed-choice items. Several conclusions dealt with the impact of the built environment upon community attitudes and behavior: (1) the number of apartments per floor had a negative impact on most aspects of community activities and sentiments; (2) the number of apartments per floor had direct positive effects on turnover rate, perceived safety, perceived quality of maintenance, and perceived influence over management; and (3) the size of the apartment grouping had a direct negative effect on residents' sense of cohesion. The study was not designed to investigate the relationship between physical design factors and crime-related behaviors. It touched upon this topic area and used an analytic technique which has been used in crime-environment studies. For these reasons, the study merited review. Its finding that the number of apartments had a direct negative impact on perceived safety is a contribution to the relationship between crime and the physical environment.