Evolution of Public Housing and Crime Prevention - Term Paper Example

Evolution of Public Housing and Crime Prevention Environmental Design Introduction Housing has changed, over the years, to accommodate crime prevention strategies and techniques to boost safety. Historically, housing stood alone, and the suitability of design, as well as individual preference, determined the building methods to be adopted. Therefore, housing was an individual discipline in the sense that other external factors got little consideration in the development of construction. On the contrary, increased criminal activities on urban settlements saw the inception of crime prevention environmental design as a consideration that boosts safety and security through deterring crime. Crime prevention environmental design can be described as a significant breakthrough in housing through which the inculcation of safety considerations of crime prevention in the design of urban housing occurs. The achievement in the evolution of public housing and crime prevention, to become a reliable dynamic that governs contemporary housing and construction, has been lengthy in terms of time. Incidentally, research indicates that appropriate design and effective application of built environment can lead to a reduction, in the prospect for crime as well as dread of crime. Similarly, architects, builders along with planners can manipulate the establishment of safer localities and communities through indulgence in building and construction. Hence, it is evident from research that, through articulate designs, housing can be transformed to include crime prevention mechanisms. The development of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) marked the beginning of crime prevention techniques in housing (Crowe & National Crime Prevention Institute, 2000). A lot of polishing and improving made by several authors and contributors, to this model incepted in the 1970’s, has seen the transformation of public housing. In essence, CPTED significantly represents the evolution of public housing and crime prevention environmental design. Crime Prevention Environmental Design CPTED is an expansive approach of discouraging criminal behavior via environmental design. The mechanisms of CPTED depend on the capacity to influence criminal choices that occur before crime. CPTED has evolved in contemporary constructions, which primarily prevail in built environment. Descriptively, CPTED is a strategy towards planning and development that decreases chances of crime. CPTED entails building design and construction that guarantees safety via the use of plan principles that sophisticated the prevalence and the possibility of criminal activities in homes, parks, neighborhoods, streets and communities. There are several ways through which crime prevention environmental design can reduce the incidence of crime. These include; territoriality through which people boosts the interaction, watchfulness and control over their surroundings. This enables the people, residing in the locality, to have methods of interacting with each other, monitor their areas, as well as exercise control over their environment thus lessening the incidence of crime. Accordingly, surveillance achieves low crime rates through maximizing the capacity to detect suspicious personalities and events that could trigger crime. Such a mechanism provides an opportunity for the residents to have control over people accessing their premises, locality and environments. Through activity support, residents permit the potential use of public space; making it easier to have influence in the activities of the neighborhood. The hierarchy of space is another reliable mechanism of crime prevention environmental design, and can reduce crime rates via demarcating public and public spaces using visible boundaries that make crime quite difficult to prevail. Access control entails the application of physical obstructions, security apparatus and meddle-resistant matters to restrict entrance thus guaranteeing safety and security by making crime difficult to perform. The consideration of the environment is a central technique of CPTED bearing in mind the particular environment in construction in order to prevent or restrict the use of space by incompatible groups. This technique focuses on the importance of environment and space in incidences of crime. Space management stands as a core parameter for the crime prevention housing since unmanaged space could be dangerous in exposing a locality to crime. Image is a crucial parameter in house design, which insists on guaranteeing cleanliness in the surrounding as a crime deterrence gimmick. This works perfectly through endearing a locality us organized and keeping off unwelcome people who could be criminals. Origin, Essence and Application of CPTED Ray Jeffery, who was a criminologist back in the 1970’s, engineered the development of CPTED (Collins et al, 2000). Oscar Newman, an architect, developed a more restricted concept commonly known as defensive space. Therefore, Jeffrey and Newman expanded on the initial efforts of Schlomo Angel, Elizabeth Wood along with Jane Jacobs. The manuscript authored by Jeffery titled, "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design" published in 1971 was of an immense contribution to the model. However, it met poor reception in the 1970s. Newman, on the other hand, published his volume in 1972 titled "Defensible Space: - Crime Prevention through Urban Design" that got pleasant reception in the professional circles and the principles contained in the book regarded highly as a significant contribution to crime prevention environmental design. Aided by CPTED, the development of defensible space dictum with other environmental strategies took shape. In further expanding on the concept of defensible space, Newman stated that it was complementary to CPTED and subsequently attributed to Jeffrey as the author. The advanced CPTED model of defensible space received wide acceptance that led to the further assessment of Jeffrey’s work. Jeffrey, on the other hand, proceeded with the development of broad parameters of the model with his additional contributions on the subject issued in 1990. Jeffrey remains the primary author of the CPTED in the sense that his mould was more inclusive than that of Newman and has often been regarded as a multi-faceted strategy to crime preclusion that integrates natural science and psychology, an assertion acknowledged by Jeffrey. Newman’s model restricts its coverage to construction environment. CPTED models developed afterwards have often been attributed to Newman and Crowe. A reconsideration of the CPTED model inculcated various attributes to the practice like offender individuality, further distancing Jeffrey’s contributions to the practice of the model. Application Strategies of CPTED CPTED strategies are threefold; natural territorial fortification, natural inspection along with natural admission control. In general, the mechanisms depend on the capacity to sway offender choices prior to criminal activity (Fennelly, 2012). Research, on the prevalence of criminal conduct, indicates that signals of probable hazard of facing arrest determines the choice to indulge in offensive activities more than by the aspect of reward or admission. Therefore, highlighting the probable hazard of recognition and anxiety bends the mechanisms of the model. In line with the broad execution of defensible space principles of the 1970s, majority of the executions are primarily on the premise that appropriate design and successful application of built environment can minimize crime, decrease fear of crime and enhance the quality of life. Built environment executions of CPTED endeavor to discourage criminals from indulging in criminal activities through the alteration of the environment where the crimes prevail. Whereas natural surveillance and admission control mechanisms limit, the occasion for crime territorial fortification advances social control through an assortment of measures. Natural surveillance enlarges the threat of nervousness through incepting steps to augment the awareness that people may be visible. Natural observation occurs by planning the placement of material features, actions as well as people in such a manner as to exploit visibility and promote positive social communication among genuine users of clandestine and communal space. Impending offenders feel augmented examination and restrictions on their getaway routes. Natural admittance control perimeters the opportunity for the offense by incepting measures that clearly separate between communal space and clandestine space. Through selectively developing entrances along with exits, lattice, lighting and background to limit the right of entry or manage flow, natural admission control happens. The application of natural admittance control harmonizes and prepares access control gauges, such as objective hardening. Territorial strengthening promotes social organization through augmented definition of the room and enhanced proprietary apprehension. An environment premeditated in outlining private space accomplishes two things. Primary, it develops a sense of possession. Proprietors have a vested awareness and are supplementary likely to confront intruders or inform them to the law enforcement. Subsequent, the sense of possessed space develops a surrounding where aliens or interlopers are noticeable and more identified. By means of buildings, barriers, roadway, signs, illumination and landscape to articulate ownership and describe public, semi-communal and confidential space, natural defensive reinforcement happens. As well, these purposes can be attained by assignment of breathing space to selected users in earlier unassigned places. Conclusion In conclusion, housing has transformed to include crime prevention techniques with the aim of boosting safety and security. This has witnessed several developments, with regard to crime prevention in building and construction, to advance the transformations in urban public housing. The growth of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) is the most significant in promoting changes in housing. CPTED is behind the contributions of several personalities and professionals whose input has been incidental to the improvement of crime prevention and safety. Ray Jeffery claims the original contribution. Schlomo Angel, Elizabeth Wood along with Jane Jacobs and Oscar Newman has seen the expansion of Ray’s model. In general, crime prevention environmental design has altered the approach and practice of housing. References Collins et al. (2000). Principles of Security and Crime Prevention. Washington: Elsevier. Crowe, T. & National Crime Prevention Institute. (2000). Crime Prevention through Environmental Design: Applications of Architectural Design and Space Management Concepts. Washington: Elsevier. Fennelly, L. (2012). Handbook Prevention of Loss Prevention and Crime. Washington: Elsevier. Read More