U.S. flag

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

Resource Manual on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

NCJ Number
174037
Date Published
1997
Length
428 pages
Annotation
The preparation of this manual involved a survey of 1,060 cities and their use of principles based on crime prevention through environmental design.
Abstract
In providing an overview of the CPTED approach, the first chapter of the manual notes the goal of CPTED is to reduce opportunities for crime inherent in the structure of buildings and the layout of neighborhoods and streets. CPTED also combines changes in the physical environment with changes in the way people react to their environment and incorporates physical, social, law enforcement, and management techniques to achieve the goal of reducing crime and fear of crime. Three overlapping strategies embodied in CPTED are natural access control, natural surveillance, and territorial reinforcement. Subsequent chapters of the manual detail specific CPTED strategies and procedures that concern local development regulations, the plan review process, public facility location and design, public facility management, traffic diversion and control, urban beautification, community policing, community involvement in CPTED. Additional information on the CPTED survey and case studies of CPTED programs are appended.

Date Published: January 1, 1997