NCJ Number
226418
Journal
European Journal of Criminology Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2009 Pages: 25-46
Date Published
January 2009
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study examined the points of correspondence between classic defensible space theory and the more contemporary routine activity theory.
Abstract
The development of defensible space theory has major implications, not only for the understanding of the processes that facilitate the interaction between crime and the environment, but also as the theoretical cornerstone of crime prevention initiatives. This paper attempts to reconceptualize defensible space within the context of situational crime prevention theory by elucidating the effect that routine activities of place have on territoriality and the creation of defensible space. The study highlighted the parallels between defensible space theory and concepts from the situational crime prevention approach, specifically, that of routine activities, the fusion of which reveals key relationships within the defensible space framework that have yet to be explained. At the heart of these relationships is the contribution made by spatial accessibility and the way in which it interacts with social and physical defensible space features. Findings suggest that the mediating factor in the relationship between spatial accessibility and crime is the routine activities of place. It is recommended that the next stage in the development of defensible space theory lies in illumination of the ways in which spatial accessibility and the routine activities of place can determine an area’s potential for defensibility. References