Measuring the correlation between neighborhood models and crime rates and sense of security. A case study of four neighborhoods adjacent to criminal focal points in Cairo-Egypt.

Abstract

The high concentration of low education level, low socio-economic level and high poverty level inside urban fabric creates criminal focal points that become a key factor associated with the increase of crime rates and the reduction of sense of security. These criminal points impose a great risk to their adjacent neighborhoods; some adjacent neighborhoods inherently facilitate crime opportunities, whereas others do not. Based on case study of four crime-affected neighborhoods, this research provides an understanding the correlation between specific neighborhoods features and both recorded crime rates and deduced resident's sense of safety and security. The results suggest two conclusions; the first regarding residents sense of safety, it is deduced that neither traditional neighborhood with extremely densification, mixed use on building level, and grid with high intersection points, nor the modern neighborhood with extremely low density, separate use, and tree street network pattern, can increase sense of safety. The second regarding crime rates, it is recorded that traditional districts can mitigate the potential risk of criminal focal pints and reduce crime rates compared to modern districts.