Criminogenic Associations and Characteristic British Housing Designs

Abstract

The perceptions of various crucial stakeholders in urban Britain, relating to the criminogenic capacity of a range of characteristic housing designs, are explored. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is an increasingly popular crime reduction strategy, based primarily upon Newman's 'defensible space' theory. However, this theory remains largely untested, and findings have been contradictory. CPTED responses are often based upon recorded crime statistics and this research challenges the use of such data in isolation. First, such data are empirically flawed and persistently misrepresent the reality of crime, and second, the recorded crime statistics are inappropriate for geographical comparisons at the micro scale. This culturally specific investigation seeks to explore the perceptions of three crucial user groups. The perceptions of town planners, police officers and convicted burglars are investigated with regard to various characteristic housing designs in Cardiff, Wales, to discover whether a commonality or plurality of perspectives exists. The ways in which different user groups perceive housing design can provide a framework for modifying future designs and may also have implications for housing allocation policies, policing and the layout of cities.