Crime Prevention Effect of the Second Generation Crime Prevention through Environmental Design Project in South Korea: An Analysis

Abstract

In Yeomni-dong Sogeum-gil, Korea, the first generation CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) project was implemented in 2012, focusing on improving the physical environment. Later, spreading nationwide, it was developed into the second generation CPTED, emphasizing the role of resident participation and improving upon the weak points of the first project. This study makes a comparative analysis of crime reduction and diffusion before and after the second generation CPTED conducted in S-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, Korea, using crime location data to verify the crime prevention effect. Most previous studies on Korean CPTED projects sought verification through surveys that involved subjective opinions of the researchers or participants, creating the need for verification through quantitative and objective analysis based on crime data. This follow-up research examines the effects of the first generation CPTED Project by making an objective analysis of the differences in crime prevention effects between the first and the second project. Findings revealed that the second CPTED had a positive effect in reducing the rate of burglary and violent crime. The second generation CPTED project also led to the crime control benefits of crime diffusion, in contrast to the earlier project, where crime displacement occurred.