Environmental Design for Safer Communities: Preventing Crime in South Africa's Cities and Towns

• NCJ Number: 177212
• Author(s): M Shaw; A Louw
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 53 pages
• Sale Source: Institute for Security Studies
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: South Africa

Annotation

This study examines crime trends in South Africa's major cities (Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town) to inform the conceptual debate on crime prevention through environmental design and possible interventions.

Abstract

While crime prevention through environmental design appears feasible at a conceptual level, it requires detailed case studies and analyses of crime patterns in particular localities. Central to understanding environmental design as a factor in crime prevention is a review of victimization patterns across a range of environments. The examination of crime levels and victimization patterns in South Africa's major cities suggests that, in particular areas, environmental factors increase the risk of victimization and the fear of crime, and that priorities for environmental design interventions can be determined by focusing on these factors. Key environmental factors in cities include poor design that reduces the surveillance of public open spaces from surrounding buildings, the presence of undeveloped and derelict open lots, and buildings designed with blind facades. Environments conducive to victimization and fear and specific environmental design interventions are discussed, and statistics on crime and victimization in South Africa are provided. 20 endnotes and 22 figures