NCJ Number
82939
Journal
International Criminal Police Review Volume: 36 Issue: 350 Dated: (August/September 1981) Pages: 201-204
Date Published
1981
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Symposium papers dealing with crime in relation to spatial factors and high-rise developments are summarized, with particular attention to research in Western Europe and the United States.
Abstract
Studies of high-rise developments in Federal Germany have shown a significantly higher crime rate in high-rise developments compared to other parts of a city. A U.S. study shows that crime rates increase in proportion to the number of stories in a residential building. Communal areas (corridors, elevators, etc.) particularly show a higher crime rate in the high-rise developments. The conclusion of such research is that the spatial design of high-rise developments does not nurture the social control or observation potential that could help prevent crime. Suggestions for design improvement include the provision of hedge and fence separations and appropriately placed windows that suggest to potential offenders that they are being watched by residents and that also suggests to residents that they are responsible for controlling certain areas. Developments that provide excessively high densities of people are discouraged, because of their tendency to depersonalize space and stimulate aggression. Recreational facilities for youth are encouraged as a necessary means for them to vent their aggressions. Other physical design features suggested are corridor layouts that offer good visibility, stairwells that can be checked at a single glance, and improved lighting in underground garages and car parks.