U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Crime Free Housing

NCJ Number
132848
Author(s)
B Poyner; B Webb
Date Published
1991
Length
135 pages
Annotation
This text uses crime data from a traditional suburb and a new town in the United Kingdom to explain the design factors that influence the levels of residential burglary and other residential crime and presents guidelines for designing residential areas to virtually eliminate residential crime.
Abstract
The analysis covers social and environmental factors affecting vehicle theft, burglary, theft from garages, theft outside the house, and vandalism. It explains the 12 design requirements for crime prevention including moderate locking security, facing windows, high fences at the sides and rear, front access to a secure yard, access for servicing and deliveries, and space at the front of the house between the house and public access areas. Other design features should include parking for the car on the curtilage of the house, a garage at the side of the house close to the front entrance, limited road access, avoidance of pedestrian routes connecting with other housing areas or open spaces, orientation of houses to provide intensive surveillance of an area, and green open spaces near the entrances to housing areas rather than within them. Photographs, drawings, tables, index, and 43 references