The relationship between street environment and street crime: A case study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China

Abstract

Street crime accounts for a significant part of urban crime, making the security of streets one of the major public anxieties. Although it is well accepted that spatial or environmental factors impact criminal psychology and behavior, there are still arguments about how the impacts work. This study focuses on the environmental factors of street samples. With statistical analysis, all the environmental data collected through field surveys are to parse the variety of the street theft rate and robbery rate. The results highlight that such factors as the frequency of street usage, the functions of the buildings along the street and the escape paths have significant effects on thefts and robberies on the street. Our findings support that certain facilities should be responsible to the concentration of crime, and suspect the efficacy of natural surveillance and frequent activities in the prevention of certain crime. The research should provoke thinking and discussion about the traditional street design and can be approached as the reference for further studies and practical projects in this field. We insist that the crime prevention should be considered as an important principle in street design guidance.