THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE HAS FUNDED RESEARCH TO PREVENT CRIME AND TO REDUCE FEAR IN THE COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT. EFFORTS HAVE BEEN INITIATED BY ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CITY EMPLOYEES IN PORTLAND, OREG., TO REVITALIZE A DETERIORATING COMMERCIAL AREA USING A CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (CPTED) APPROACH. THE TARGET AREA FOR CPTED HAD DEVELOPED A REPUTATION AS A HIGH CRIME AREA AND BUSINESS PATRONAGE HAD DECLINED, PARTIALLY AS A CONSEQUENCE OF FEAR. THE VIABILITY OF BUSINESSES CONTINUED TO BE THREATENED AS CONSUMERS TURNED TO THE PERCEIVED SAFETY OF ALTERNATIVE COMMERCIAL AREAS. USING THE CPTED THEORY TO REVITALIZE THE COMMERCIAL AREA, A DEMONSTRATION PLAN WAS WRITTEN THAT RECOMMENDED CHANGES IN THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE AREA, WITH THE AIM OF REDUCING BOTH CRIME AND FEAR AND THEREBY INCREASING THE VIABILITY OF BUSINESSES. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CPTED THEORY, ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES WERE PLANNED TO INCREASE ACCESS CONTROL, NATURAL SURVEILLANCE, AND ACTIVITY SUPPORT. AS OF 1977, THESE CHANGES REPRESENTED A TOTAL COMMITMENT OF ABOUT $10 MILLION. THE CPTED APPROACH REQUIRES A MULTIAGENCY EFFORT IN RELATION TO THE SUPPORT OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND INCREASING COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS AND AWARENESS OF CRIME AND SAFETY. FEAR REDUCTION STRATEGIES CAN BE DIRECTED AT DIMINISHING THE PERCEPTION OF VULNERABILITY AND ENHANCING FEELINGS OF SAFETY, CORRECTING MISINFORMATION MANY CITIZENS APPEAR TO HAVE ABOUT CRIME, AND INCREASING THE PRESENCE OF POSITIVE SYMBOLS AND ELIMINATING NEGATIVE SYMBOLS IN THE COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT. (DEP)