Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED)

english

An approach to planning and development that reduces opportunities for crime by applying design principles that make it difficult for crimes to be committed. Examples include increasing surveillance to maximize the ability to spot suspicious individuals, ensuring that the buildings in the area are clean and free of graffiti, target hardening by increasing physical barriers and security devices, and by increasing the territoriality by fostering the resident’s control over the neighbourhood (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 1998). CPTED can reduce crime and fear through: Territoriality - fostering residents’ interaction, vigilance, and control over their neighbourhood. Surveillance - maximizing the ability to spot suspicious people and activities. Activity support - encouraging the intended use of public space by residents. Hierarchy of space - identifying ownership by delineating private space from public space through real or symbolic boundaries. Access Control/Target Hardening - using physical barriers, security devices and tamper-resistant materials to restrict entrance. Environment - a design or location decision that takes into account the surrounding environment and minimizes the use of space by conflicting groups. Image/Maintenance - ensuring that the buildings in the area are clean, well maintained, and graffiti-free. (See also: Situational Crime Prevention)

Source: reproduced with the permission of the Government of Canada

french: Prévention du crime par une conception adéquate du milieu (P