DEFENSIBLE SPACE - CRIME PREVENTION THRU ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

Abstract

Crime has been a social problem which affects numerous people in terms of lives, well-being and property. It often results in theft, burglary and outrage of modesty etc. These crimes are closely related to architecture and the built environment because they often happen within a place such as a building, a streetscape, car parks, lift lobbies and bicycle parks. This paper seeks to introduce and investigate whether new crime-fighting measures like economic, social and environmental growth/degradation affects environmental design in supporting or deterring crime. Together with the history of Crime Prevention thru Environmental Design (CPTED), the current terrorist problem and economic downturn shall be researched upon. Precedent studies will be conducted on the USA, Europe and Singapore in comparison of inner city problems, urban planning and political implementations. Detailed studies will be conducted on Singapore through crime statistics released by the SPF and how efforts are made to keep crimes at bay. Last but not least, the results of three crime-prone locations in Singapore have shown applying CPTED strategies in environmental design can indeed offer us a safer environment to live in. It could be done through sensitivity in human ergonomics, maintaining natural surveillance and uplifting the genius loci of a location. It is necessary for Architects and planners to integrate these strategies proficiently through environmental design for the well-being and safety of the society.