The author notes, however, that strategic insights on preventing crime and disorder in city centers can be gleaned from research on patterns and causes of urban crime and disorder. City centers are largely nonresidential areas where strangers from different social backgrounds mix in public space. Legal activities in city centers, such as shopping and entertainment, attract both conventional people and criminals but they also create temptations and friction between people. Preventing crime in urban areas basically involves influencing routine activities that generate temptations and friction and developing focused policing and surveillance strategies. Crime prevention strategies for the city center must be built around the police and those who work in the area. This involves influencing the social organization of legal activities and developing an integrated and comprehensive prevention program based on cooperation between the police and the city center business community. 107 references, 2 tables, and 2 figures