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DEFENSIBLE SPACE - A THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL APPRAISAL

NCJ Number
61397
Journal
Urban Studies Volume: 14 Dated: (1977) Pages: 169-179
Author(s)
R I MAWBY
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
DATA FROM A BRITISH SURVEY OF OFFENSES AND REPORTING RATES IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING WERE USED TO TEST THE DEFENSIBLE SPACE CONCEPT, WHICH PREDICTS THAT CRIME PATTERNS VARY WITH BUILDING DESIGN FEATURES.
Abstract
OSCAR NEWMAN, IN HIS BOOK DEFENSIBLE SPACE, ASSERTED THAT THE LOCATION OF CRIMES IS LARGELY DETERMINED BY A BUILDING'S PHYSICAL LAYOUT, AND THAT HIGH RISE BUILDINGS ARE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO CRIME. HE CONTENDED THAT AREAS WILL BE WELL DEFENDED IF THEY ARE VISIBLE TO POTENTIAL WITNESSES, IF COMMUNITY SPIRIT ENCOURAGES NEIGHBORS TO GUARD NEUTRAL TERRITORY, IF MANY PEOPLE USE THE AREA, AND IF PRIVATE TERRITORY IS CLEARLY DEMARCATED PHYSICALLY OR SYMBOLICALLY. IN THE PRESENT STUDY, OFFENSE RATES AND CRIME REPORTING PATTERNS WERE COMPARED AMONG HOUSING COMPLEXES WITH DIFFERING DEFENSIBLE QUALITIES. WHEN ONLY OFFENSES AGAINST RESIDENCES WERE CONSIDERED, THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIGH RISE AND LOW RISE AREAS, IN EITHER OFFENSE RATES OR REPORTING PATTERNS. HOWEVER, OFFENSES AGAINST BUSINESSES WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE REPORTED BY WITNESSES IN AREAS WHERE SHOPS WERE INTEGRATED INTO THE HOUSING COMPLEX. THEREFORE, THE DEFENSIBLE SPACE THEORY WAS ONLY PARTIALLY SUPPORTED, SUGGESTING WEAKNESSES IN THE THEORY ITSELF. AMONG POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES IN NEWMAN'S THEORY ARE THE LACK OF DIFFERENTIATION AMONG TYPES OF CRIME AND CONTRADICTIONS WITHIN THE DEFINITION OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEORY AND PRACTICAL RESEARCH ARE RECOMMENDED. FOOTNOTES, TABLES, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)